I watched a clip from an old Dr. Oz show that said women are at an increased risk for thyroid cancer. Because of that, he suggested women limit the number of dental x-rays they get. In fact, he said to only get them if there is an actual problem and not routinely. Is there validity to his claims?
Rebekah
Dear Rebekah,
I can understand your concern and am glad that you are advocating for your own health. No one wants cancer. There is some mixed information with this Dr. Oz clip. What is definitely true about what he said is that women have an increased risk of thyroid problems than men. However, thyroid cancer is a rare one and accounts for about 3% of cancers in women and 1% in men. Women are more likely to develop Hashimoto’s Disease or hypothyroidism than thyroid cancer.
Why Dental X-Rays?
Most dentists these days use digital x-rays, which are actually 10 times LESS than you’d get just from the earth’s atmosphere in your every day life. When you factor in the benefits of dental x-rays, it is sort of a no-brainer. I wish Dr. Oz would do some more research instead of just stretching for things to talk about on his show.
Getting routine x-rays can substantially cut down on the type of treatment you need by catching things early. If you see the start of a cavity, it can be dealt with before it becomes a necessary procedure that requires a root canal treatment and dental crown. This will save you both money and tooth structure. Diagnostic tools, such as x-rays can catch things the naked eye cannot.
If you are still concerned, then you could always tell your dentist you want a thyroid collar whenever you have to get an x-ray done. These are lined and will protect your thyroid from any radiation exposure.
I’m glad you wrote and asked. I would hate for you to end up with a dental emergency because of misinformation that caused you to skip diagnostics.
This blog is brought to you by Baton Rouge Dentist Dr. Steven Collins.