Every 6 months I get my teeth cleaned. Maybe not every visit, but the subject of X-Rays comes up. I generally opt out until at least a full year goes by.
Is there generally accepted time frame to get X-Rays?
Thx.
A lot of dentists try to do them annually, though I don’t know if that’s the industry standard , or the “insurance will pay so let’s do it” standard. I’ll usually go longer due to (possibly overblown) concerns over radiation, and the fact that they make me gag.
I gag very easily but the hygienist at my dentist’s office uses a small handheld x-ray device, rather than the boom-mounted one that required her to leave the room. I assume the handheld device uses less radiation given that she doesn’t leave the room, as she did when they used the boom-mounted device.
The American Dental Association published a 27-page guideline for dental x-rays. The schedule laid out in Table 1 of that document depends on the age of the patient and their history of cavities and periodontal disease, but it looks like for adults without cavities the recommendation is every 24-36 months, and for adults with cavities the recommendation is every 6-18 months.
My experience, they will do them as often as insurance will pay or you will. Know what your insurance allows. Determine by your own dental health history what you need and only do that.
When I had corporate insurance, it paid for one cleaning every six months and X-rays once a year. I’ve never had a cavity. I opted not to get dental insurance when I went on ObamaCare. I pay for the cleanings twice a year out of pocket and don’t get X-rays anymore. After 60 years of no cavities, I think I’m safe.