Im nearly 18 but Iv already had 15 x-rays; 2 chest, 2 dental, 3 ankle, 8 neck. I know that you need to have quite a few before there is any significant risk of developing problems like cancer later on, but just how many is dangerous? "Significant" is the key word in that sentence. Depending on the intensity of the x-ray, it will have a particular chance of causing cellular damage that will lead to cancer.
However, that risk is fairly small so far. According to the Web sources ready to hand, medical x-rays typically have doses measured in the millisieverts - 'sievert' being the standard (SI - Systeme Internationale) measure of radiation - and doses below 200 millisieverts are not dangerous. Given the number of x-rays you've had, I'd recommend you calculate your approximate dosage now and talk with your doctor if it begins to approach the 200 mSv level. As it stands, however, don't worry about it. You're at bigger risk walking outside without a sunshade. :) Many people have rea$on$ to lie to you, about this. If you Google it, you'll find that each x-ray you have has the potential to cause the cancer, years later.
To explain, the x-ray "particles" are like little cannon-balls, going through your body. Most of these "cannon-balls pass through the empty spaces between the molecules, (and the nuclei and electrons of your atoms), without striking anything. But sometimes, one of these "cannonballs" strikes a molecule in a way that causes some sort of "cancer-causing mutation or change" there.
Even though it may take many years, to grow big enough for you to "notice" it, (and kill you), that is the "general theory" behind the fact that this type of radiation can, (and does), give you cancer. So not even one x-ray is "safe", and you've had 15.
The way any doctor justifies giving x-rays, is to say that the "risk of harm" they are definitely forcing you to take, with the x-ray, is "less than" the "risk of problems" you might have, without the x-ray. In other words, the risk of cancer from having even one x-ray is an established fact, no matter how much "muddy water" they use, to try to hide this FACT.
That's why it's deceptive, when people claim that "the radiation from an x-ray is less than the radiation you get when you fly from New York to Los Angeles". For one thing, it's not the same type of radiation. But most importantly, that extra radiation you get, by flying at 35,000 ft. for five or six hours, CAN ALSO GIVE YOU CANCER. In fact, even the radiation present all around us at all times, (especially from the sun), theoretically causes "mutations" and cancer, but at a much lower "percentage of risk" than even one medical x-ray.
GIVEN THESE FACTS, NO ONE IN THEIR RIGHT MIND WOULD ALLOW ANY DOCTOR TO GIVE THEM EVEN ONE X-RAY, WITHOUT A VERY GOOD REASON, AND THAT REASON HAS TO BE ACCEPTABLE TO THE PATIENT. The so-called "Panoramic dental x-rays" are the most absurd and deadly, since they send radiation through your whole neck and spinal cord.
So, we find that dentists are very deceptive and defensive about x-rays. They know that "the game is rigged", because they can't get malpractice insurance unless they obey the insurance company's "rule", requiring constant, routine, (and absolutely unnecessary), x-rays. And the reason the insurance company doesn't care, if you get cancer from those x-rays, is that they know that you will never be able to prove that your cancer was caused by those particular x-rays. Currently, Roger Ebert, the famous movie-reviewer is suffering horribly from "cancer of the salivary gland". I guess you know that I believe his horrible suffering was caused by one of the many dental x-rays he's no doubt received.
It has similarities to the case of tobacco smoke, which for a very long time could not be proven to cause lung cancer. Once the proof became overwhelming, however, then public smoking had to be banned, to protect the insurance companies.
I'm sorry that I have to tell you, that you cannot get treatment from USA dentists, without x-rays, not because it's right, but because the "game is rigged", so that you can't get dental care without x-rays. Presently, I'm looking into whether it's possible to get dental care in some other, (less corrupted) country, that would at least allow me to sign a "release from liability" to give to the dentist, to escape these insidiously dangerous x-rays. The proof that all I've told you here is true, is that no dentist in the USA will accept such a legal "release from liability" for non-use of x-rays. Why not? Because the "game is rigged".
I hope this helps. |
