"Does my child really need X-rays?" is one of the best questions parents ask us, and it deserves a straight answer: sometimes yes, never routinely, and with modern digital imaging, at radiation doses a fraction of what parents remember.
Cavities between baby molars are invisible to the eye until they are large; X-rays catch them small. Imaging also shows whether adult teeth are present, positioned and on schedule beneath the gums, information nothing else can provide, and flags extra, missing or impacted teeth while intervention is easy.
Digital sensors need substantially less radiation than old film. Selective prescribing: we image based on your child's individual risk and findings, not a calendar, and low-risk children with tight check-up habits may go long stretches without any. Protective protocols and equipment sized to small patients round it out. For perspective, a set of children's check-up X-rays involves less radiation than a day of natural background exposure.
The sensor takes seconds, nothing touches uncomfortably, and children mostly find the on-screen pictures of their own teeth fascinating. Ours routinely ask for copies.
Questions about imaging and your child? Ask us anytime: (250) 372-2326.
Questions, or ready to book? Call (250) 372-2326 or request an appointment online.