Dental Care and Pregnancy

Cavities can lead to periodontal disease, and gingivitis is considered an early form of it. Since periodontal disease can result in premature birth and low birth weight, it’s imperative to pay attention to oral health during pregnancy.

However, during a routine checkup, a dentist might ask to take x-rays, which can cause anxiety. A question often asked is: “Are dental x-rays safe during pregnancy?”

The dentist is not being callous to make the suggestion; as he or she well knows, various authorities, including both the FDA and CDC, have determined that dental x-rays pose no risk to the unborn baby. Why is this?

X-rays and pregnancy

First and foremost, medical scientists have not yet come to a complete agreement as to whether – or to what extent – x-rays like those used in dentist’s offices would ever actually harm an unborn child. A controlled experiment is, for obvious reasons, impossible, so most of the data on this subject came from Japanese women who were exposed to so-called “ionizing radiation” (similar to x-rays) during the atomic bombings at the close of the Second World War. While there was a higher incidence of birth complications with these women, the dose of radiation they absorbed can only be described as colossal. Modern x-ray machines, however, do not emit anywhere near this much.

The general consensus nowadays is that the most radiation a pregnant patient can safely get during any one procedure is 5 rad. No x-ray test done to any body part under any circumstances exceeds or even meets this amount, and the vast majority emits only a fraction of it. Studies show that for most x-rays, a patient would have to get enormously high numbers in one sitting to reach that 5 rad threshold, ranging from the dozens (for spinal and pelvic x-rays) to the thousands (70,000 for chest x-rays). This means that even if a person were to get x-rays of any type before knowing about the pregnancy, there is practically no danger from it.

Dental X-Rays and Pregnancy

As far as dental x-rays, the same studies note that a patient would have to get about 50,000 of them in one sitting to reach the 5 rad dosing. Assuming that one x-ray would take about three seconds to conduct, that would mean a patient would have to be continuously x-rayed for close to two straight days for it to add up to 5 rad.

Furthermore, for nearly all dental x-rays, the patient is covered with an apron lined with lead which usually extends to about the waist. This covers a patient’s reproductive organs, including where the unborn fetus is. This reduces the danger even further.

Making informed choices

Many people believe that even the slightest chance of harm to the unborn is too great of a risk. For such people, a number of possible options exist for dental imaging. One is the use of Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI), which poses no danger at all to the fetus, as it does not use ionizing radiation. MRIs have not been universally adopted by dentists, however, and metal filings can sometimes distort the imaging.

Another option is to delay the x-rays, either until the second trimester (studies suggest that the baby is most susceptible to radiation between 10-17 weeks) or until after the baby is born. This is not recommended, however, as x-rays can detect cavities, and cavities are best treated early. Cavities can lead to periodontal disease, which carries a greater risk of harming the unborn baby than x-rays do. Also, x-rays may be mandatory in the event of a dental emergency.

The best first step is to notify the dentist if pregnancy is confirmed or suspected and to discuss options then. The dentists at Exceptional Dentistry are experts in all matters involving teeth and dental x-rays. With three offices in the greater Louisville area, Exceptional Dentistry is happy to provide dental care to all ages. To make an appointment, call (888) 918-3336.