Radiographs - Are X-rays safe for our children?

There have been many questions about the link with x-rays to tumors. Below is an article published by the ADA along with several sites that are to educate you about the safety of x-rays and conclusions on the possible link with x-rays to brain tumors.

Article from the ADA - Mouth Healthy

Dental X-rays are a useful diagnostic tool when helping your dentist detect damage and disease not visible during a regular dental exam. How often X-rays should be taken depends on your present oral health, your age, your risk for disease, and any signs and symptoms of oral disease. For example, children may require X-rays more often than adults because their teeth and jaws are still developing and their teeth are more likely to be affected by tooth decay than those of adults. Your dentist will review your history, examine your mouth and then decide whether or not you need X-rays.

Dental X-ray exams are safe; however, they do require very low levels of radiation exposure, which makes the risk of potentially harmful effects very small. Dental X-ray tools and techniques are designed to limit the body's exposure to radiation and every precaution is taken to ensure that radiation exposure is As Low As Reasonable Achievable (the ALARA principle). A leaded apron minimizes exposure to the abdomen and should be used when any dental radiograph is taken. Also, a leaded thyroid collar can protect the thyroid from radiation, and should also be used whenever possible. The use of a leaded thyroid collar is recommended for women of childbearing age, pregnant women and children.

DIGITAL RADIOGRAPHY
A high-quality image can be obtained through the use of direct digital radiography while minimizing exposure to both patient and health care provider. Advantages of digital radiography include a decrease in radiation exposure for intraoral radiographs, speed in obtaining the image, ease of digital storage and electronic transmission of the image, and discontinued need for darkroom equipment. A digital radiographic image can be adjusted for optimal diagnostic quality, including alterations in contrast, density, magnification and color. Radiographic images can be printed on photo-quality paper or transparent sheets using any of a number of standard printers.



References:

http://www.ada.org/2760.aspx

http://www.ada.org/sections/professionalResources/pdfs/report_radiography.pdf

http://www.mouthhealthy.org/en/az-topics/x/x-rays.aspx

Did you know that Pediatric Dentist are taught how to handle children and have 2 more years of education than General Dentist?

Soda Linked to Aggression in Young Children, Study Finds

Got a fighting-prone 5-year-old? You might want to consider cutting back on the little one’s soda intake, as a new study has linked young kids’ aggressive behavior with soft drinks.

Check out the link below to find out how....

http://shine.yahoo.com/parenting/soda-linked-to-aggression-in-little-kids--study-finds-185802176.html

Study: Children’s Poor Motor, Social Skills Linked To Too Much Television Watching « CBS Atlanta

Study: Children’s Poor Motor, Social Skills Linked To Too Much Television Watching « CBS Atlanta

Marvin J. Rapaport, M.D. interview on Red Skin Syndrome: Eczema Treatment

To Chew or Not to Chew!

Clinical studies have shown that chewing sugarless gum for 20 minutes following meals can help prevent tooth decay.

The chewing of sugarless gum increases the flow of saliva, which washes away food and other debris, neutralizes acids produced by bacteria in the mouth and provides disease-fighting substances throughout the mouth. Increased saliva flow also carries with it more calcium and phosphate to help strengthen tooth enamel.

The only varieties of gum with the ADA Seal are sugarless. They are sweetened by non-cavity causing sweeteners such as aspartame, xylitol, sorbitol or mannitol. Of course, chewing sugar-containing gum increases saliva flow too, but it also contains sugar which is used by plaque bacteria to produce decay-causing acids. Further research needs to be done to determine the effects of chewing sugar-containing gum on tooth decay.

Don’t let chewing sugarless gum replace brushing and flossing. It’s not a substitute. The ADA still recommends brushing twice a day with fluoride toothpaste and cleaning plaque from between your teeth once a day with dental floss or other interdental cleaners.

Look for chewing gum that carries the ADA Seal. The ADA Seal is your assurance that the sugar-free chewing gum has met the ADA criteria for safety and effectiveness. You can trust that claims made on packaging and labeling for ADA-accepted products are true, because companies must verify all of the information to the ADA. Products with the ADA Seal say what they do and do what they say.


View article for this post:  http://www.mouthhealthy.org/en/az-topics/c/chewing-gum.aspx

Vision Therapy

Does your child get headaches, reverse letters/numbers, skip lines when reading or have a short attention span? Studies show that 1 out of 5 school age children have an undiagnosed visual issue that affects learning. As many as 70% of learning disabled and remedial reading students have a significant visual component to their learning problems.

If your child is struggling in school, Vision Therapy at Optometric Physician of Middle Tennessee can help.

Vision Therapy is an individualized, supervised treatment program designed to correct visual-motor and/or perceptual deficiencies. The goal of VT is to train the brain to use the eyes to receive information effectively, comprehend it quickly and react appropriately. Vision Therapy will enhance eye teaming, focusing, convergence skills, perceptual skills and more.

Vision Therapy can help with a variety of behaviors or disorders. Here are a few examples:

• Lazy eye, crossed-eyes, or wandering eyes

• Squinting or covering one eye to see

• Short attention span (diagnosed with ADHD or ADD)

• Poor visual/motor skills (hand-eye coordination)

• Frequently loses place while reading

• Complains of double vision

For success stories please visit: www.rdeyes.com/success-stories/


Richard Durocher, O.D
Kate Nelson, Vision Therapist

Optometric Physicians of Middle Tennessee
4322 Harding Pike, Suite 214
Nashville, TN 37205
615-386-3036


Website: www.rdeyes.com
Blog: www.nashvillevisiontherapy.blogspot.com/
vt@rdeyes.com