X-ray Dangers
Many people are not comfortable getting X-rays taken because of the possible adverse health effects. An increasing number of people have began to refuse X-ray scans, as a result of a report published by the National Academy of Science that outlined negative biological effects that can result after exposure to radiation. The potential dangers of X-ray radiation exposure include cancer, leukemia, and genetic mutations.
Genetic Mutation Dangers
If the gonads are exposed to excessive amounts of radiation, which are estimated to be 10 r. (roentgens), it may cause gene mutations, which can potentially result in deformities of the subject's offspring. A typical dental X-ray now exposes 5 r. directly to the jaw of a patient. The radiation does not stop at the jaw, however, it has the ability to scatter and reach the gonads. The average dental X-ray will then expose the gonads to a small amount of radiation totaling 0.001 r. in females and 0.005 r. in males. Thus, it would take a female 10,000 dental X-rays to face potential problems, and 2,000 X-rays for males.
Cancer/Leukemia Dangers
Overexposure to radiation of a specific body part can cause problems with the skin that closely resemble cancers and bad burns. When the radiation scatters throughout the body, such as in dental X-rays, it has the power to pierce marrow inside of the body that forms blood. Excessive amounts of radiation have also been found to cause leukemia in some patients.Though leukemia is a possible danger of X-rays, it is not a common occurrence. In the past 46 years, there have only been 87 documented cases of leukemia forming as a result of exposure to not only X-rays, but also radium and thorium.
Prenatal Dangers
Researchers at the Oxford University have studies that have determined that X-rays can be dangerous to the fetus during pregnancy. The studies observed that British mothers with children who have died of leukemia had twice as many X-rays of the pelvic region when compared to mothers of healthy children. The X-rays which took place potentially exposed the fetus to radiation during pregnancy, and may have resulted in the increased numbers of leukemia related deaths among them. Although the finders were non-conclusive, this has raised awareness against conducting unnecessary, potentially dangerous X-rays among pregnant women.
Tags: amounts radiation, dental X-ray, dental X-rays, during pregnancy
