Dental X-ray While Pregnant

Is it possible to safely get a dental X-ray while pregnant? Will a dental X-ray during pregnancy be harmful to your baby? Understanding how modern digital imaging works and the protective measures that we take will help you feel more comfortable should you need dental X-rays. Encinitas patients of Dr. Skeens can rest assured that we always put them and their family’s health first!

Why Get a Dental X-ray During Pregnancy

Normally we defer any routine dental X-ray during pregnancy, simply as a safety precaution. However, there will still be situations where you may need a Dental X-ray while pregnant, especially if you’re in pain or have visible signs of a chronic infection.

That being said, Dr. Skeens can safely take imaging following dental X-ray (in pregnancy) guidelines while maintaining your and your child’s wellbeing. Doing so will allow us to immediately address the source of your dental emergency and treat the issue before other complications arise.

If you’re worried about getting a dental X-ray while pregnant, rest assured that our Encinitas dentist will only take one if 100% necessary.

Ensuring Safety During Dental X-ray Procedures

Any time we take dental X-rays, Encinitas patients are screened for a variety of medical conditions. Pregnancy is just one of them. Any time we need to take a dental X-ray, pregnancy needs to be considered, because some women may never realize that they’re pregnant until weeks or months later.

Since the radiation used to take dental X-rays can’t pass through certain types of barriers, we use a special lead apron to cover all of your reproductive organs and susceptible gland tissue (such as your thyroid.) That way if there happens to be any amount of scatter radiation, it won’t penetrate the lead apron.

Safety of Dental X-rays | Encinitas

Did you know that today’s digital dental X-rays require as much as 90% less radiation than those used a few decades ago? This significant decrease in radiation levels makes dental X-rays safer than ever. Especially when taken according to appropriate guidelines for patient care.

What might surprise most people is that even if you have hesitations about dental X-rays while pregnant, it doesn’t expose you to as much radiation as other everyday activities. For example, your body can soak up more radiation during a transcontinental flight on an airplane or spending the day out at the beach than it is having routine dental X-rays made.

Odd, isn’t it?

Why You Can’t Afford to Skip on X-rays

If your mouth is relatively healthy and you’re due for a checkup, Dr. Skeens will likely recommend waiting to get X-rays until after you’ve given birth. By maintaining healthy teeth and gums, there’s a lower risk of infection that needs to be addressed during the short window of time that you’re pregnant.

All of that being said, if you have any active symptoms of a cracked tooth, cavity, or dental abscess, you need to get an X-ray taken. Yes, even if you’re pregnant. Why? Because the benefits outweigh any potential risks. One or two diagnostic dental X-rays will not produce nearly enough radiation to pose any type of risk to you or your baby. But an undiagnosed dental infection can. In fact, chronic periodontal disease can raise your risk of preeclampsia, pre-term labor, and even stillbirth.

The earlier our Encinitas dentist intercepts dental disease, the:

• Less chance there is for bacteria to spread to your baby
• More affordable the condition is to treat
• Easier it is to prevent the spread of infection into other teeth
• Less invasive the restorative procedure will be

At Encinitas Family Dentistry, we only recommend dental X-rays when needed. These high-resolution images allow us to keep your smile healthier over time, by preventing disease and dental damage before it compounds into something more severe.

Toothache During Pregnancy? Call Now

Our Encinitas dentist offers pregnancy-safe dentistry and low-radiation digital X-rays to diagnose the source of your tooth pain. Contact us today to reserve an exam with Dr. Skeens.