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Comment by sjg007 | Hacker News Reader

Most people don't get 10x thorax xrays done in their life. If you have a reason to get those xrays fine... But in general there's a cancer risk so just multiply it out.

I don't get dental xrays every year and I wait 3-5 years to actually have one. And I never have had a problem. You should only get an xray after the dental exam indicates a problem and you trust your dentist. I learnt this the hard way after seeing several pushy dentists over the course of a few years who in retrospect focused on the money. One of the dentists I saw was busted by the FBI for insurance fraud.

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...I wait 3-5 years...

You're saving money at both ends! Not only are you not buying X-rays, but it's also fairly likely that by the time a condition is serious enough to cause you pain, the only option left will be to pull the tooth. Extractions are definitely cheaper than fancy procedures like root canals, fillings, and crowns. At some point you might have no teeth remaining, and you won't have to worry about the issue at all!

Modern dental x-rays involve minuscule radiation levels.

I'm not sure if you're being sarcastic or not, but extractions can be cheaper and more effective than root canals, fillings, and crowns.

If you have a tooth with only 2 roots and one of them cracks, then it's better to just remove the tooth. Besides chronic infection that can hemorrhage, it will have to be extracted within 5 years anyway.

With 3 roots and only one cracked, sometimes dental surgeons can do something.

Also, the comment about dental x-rays being a profit center are clearly true. In SV, it's like they put you on a calendar for them, and they're usually done before an exam.

Yeah as smart as you sound, you are wrong. Why don't you read:

https://www.ada.org/~/media/ADA/Publications/ADA%20News/File...

before you spout nonsense.

I'm not going to read all 29 pages at this hour, but the chart on page 5 clearly indicates that patients with teeth should be getting 4BW every 2-3 years at the longest.

Note: if a dentist or hygienist notices something, it doesn't matter if you had FMX or pano 3 months ago. Getting another BW or PA can make the difference between a tiny filling and lots of discomfort.

I would love to have this conversation with my dentist but don't have much data to back it up at the moment. Do you have any good sources?

Just look at the American academy or association of dentistry recommendations. I forget the name but it’s the scientific organization that accredits dental education etc..

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