It's no secret that during pregnancy it is recommended to avoid various types of exposure to the body so as not to provoke disturbances in the development of the fetus. But during the period of bearing a child, various situations may arise when the use of medications, various types of examinations, and certain types of procedures may be necessary.

These include dental x-rays during pregnancy, which is sometimes important to carry out in order to exclude dangerous diseases and complications in the oral cavity. Whether it is possible for pregnant women to have dental x-rays is still controversial, despite the fact that there is equipment with minimal risk for the development and health of the unborn baby.

X-ray of teeth for pregnant women

X-ray: radiation features and safe dosages

Before you figure out whether pregnant women can take a dental photograph, you need to understand the importance of this procedure. If you do not use this technique, then in severe cases of dental disease the dentist will have to work blindly, which will not guarantee the quality of the treatment performed and does not exclude the occurrence of any complications in the future.a

Therefore, this is an important diagnostic procedure that must be carried out if the doctor has given a referral for this type of examination.

With the help of an x-ray, the doctor will be able to:

• identify dental diseases;
• determine the pathological state of periodontal tissues;
• determine and diagnose the condition of the bone tissues of the oral cavity;
• are there any caries or foci of inflammation;
• see the anatomical structure of the jaws.

IMPORTANT: The dentist himself determines which dental x-ray to take during pregnancy.

It can be assigned:

• outside the mouth;
• inside the mouth;
• survey.

Modern equipment, according to doctors, is not dangerous when examining the teeth of pregnant women. If we are talking about a Soviet-era radiograph, it is not recommended to take dental photographs for pregnant women, especially in the first stages of pregnancy. Since in 5% of cases, irradiation on such devices of 1 rad leads to disturbances in the development of the fetus and retardation of its development.

But these are quite rare cases that arise as a result of a pathological pregnancy. And X-ray radiation can only aggravate and become an impetus for the negative consequences of fetal development. In healthy women, no abnormal phenomena are observed after irradiation. I.

If a photograph of a tooth during pregnancy is suggested to be taken using a visiograph, then this method is completely safe, and this type of procedure should not be feared. Its radiation can be compared to the amount of radiation if a pregnant woman spent the entire first half of the day in the sun.

The X-ray beam of such equipment cannot penetrate into the deep layers of the skin, especially into the uterus. Therefore, such an x-ray examination is not dangerous for the child’s health. The dose for such an examination is no more than 0.0001 rad, so if necessary, a woman can take several pictures at once without negative consequences in the future.

IMPORTANT: Staying in the sun in summer is several times more dangerous than taking a dental x-ray.

A pregnant woman should also know that despite the safety of the procedure, dental x-rays are not recommended for pregnant women in the first trimester, as this is the most important and responsible period in the formation of the unborn child in the womb.

Can pregnant women have their teeth taken?

Doctors strongly recommend not to perform the procedure in the early stages of pregnancy. Despite the fact that the radiation exposure is not significant, you should not put the health of the unborn child at risk. Still, this is a negative impact, and no one can predict how it will affect the development of the fetus in the future.

This is especially true in the first trimester, since the formation of all organs and systems occurs. And only in the second trimester can dental X-rays be taken for pregnant women, since the sensitivity to radiation in the fetus decreases. But even during this period during the procedure it is necessary to observe safety precautions:

• cover your stomach and chest with a special apron that will protect against exposure and radiation;
• sit as far as possible from the handset of the device;
• take no more than 5 pictures for the entire period while the woman is in pregnancy;
• After the procedure, drink at least a glass of milk or juice.

IMPORTANT: Only by following all these recommendations can you take a dental x-ray during pregnancy in case of urgent need.
If possible, the best option would be to reschedule the study until the woman stops breastfeeding. If the procedure is absolutely necessary, the doctor should be informed of the pregnancy.

When pregnant women should not have a dental x-ray

First of all, even before the start of pregnancy, a woman should have all problem teeth treated. If for any reason it is necessary to undergo an examination, you need to know that it is categorically undesirable to take an x-ray in the first trimester. Why shouldn’t pregnant women have dental x-rays done in the early stages?

• A negative impact of radiation on the fetus cannot be ruled out, since it is during this period that the internal organs, nervous, digestive, and cardiovascular systems of the unborn baby begin to develop.
• X-rays can destroy the natural formation processes of the fetus.
• There is a high probability of mutagenic intrauterine development of the fetus.
• There is a danger of miscarriage in the early stages.
• Complications during childbirth are possible.

Should I worry if an x-ray was taken and the woman did not know about pregnancy?

It is quite difficult to independently determine the initial stages of pregnancy. And only after a few weeks or more does a woman begin to suspect that she has it due to the absence of menstruation. During this period, the expectant mother turns to a gynecologist, who confirms the pregnancy and determines its timing.

And the woman begins to worry that she took an X-ray of the tooth, not knowing that she was pregnant. A short period of time should not cause any pathologies in the development of the fetus. X-ray radiation, due to its weak power, cannot penetrate the egg.

IMPORTANT: During an airplane flight over a distance of 3 thousand kilometers, a person receives the same amount of radiation as during a dental x-ray.

But, in order to avoid negative consequences, you need to inform your attending physician about this procedure. The gynecologist may prescribe an additional examination to exclude the negative effects of radiation on the developing body of the unborn child.

The maximum that can happen is the birth of a child with insufficient body weight. But such cases happen no more than 5%. And in most cases, they are detected in women with health problems or during difficult pregnancy.

In addition, dentists claim that the risk of osteomyelitis, cysts, abscess, sepsis, acute infectious or purulent processes in a pregnant woman due to dental problems is much higher than the development of pathologies with dental x-rays.

Therefore, in some situations, a woman is advised to undergo a study regardless of the stage of pregnancy, since the risk of developing complex diseases of the oral cavity is higher than the risk of exposure to the fetus.

IMPORTANT: In any case, the dentist must be informed about pregnancy so that he can select a more gentle type of examination. It is also necessary to consult a gynecologist.

Dentists assure that if it is possible to postpone the procedure, it is still worth waiting until 16 weeks. At this stage of pregnancy, all risks are minimized, and the health of the unborn baby will not be affected.

Everyone knows that research using x-rays can cause various consequences in the form of developmental anomalies. Any woman during pregnancy strives to avoid contact with potentially dangerous factors, but a situation may arise when the help of a dentist is required. Depending on the complexity of the problem, the question arises about the need for an x-ray examination, and the question immediately arises - is it possible to x-ray a tooth during pregnancy?

Many women ask the question: “Is it harmful to have a dental x-ray during pregnancy?”

Dentists have different opinions on this matter - some believe that it is possible to take an X-ray of a tooth during pregnancy, provided that all safety rules are followed, while others, adherents of the old school, argue that it is impossible to take an X-ray during this important period. Recently, diagnosing pathologies of the dentofacial system using radiography for pregnant women has become a common practice when visiting a dentist.

Indications for X-ray examination

The need for X-ray examination during dental treatment is due to the fact that in some cases it is impossible to completely eliminate the problem “blindly”. For example, in the presence of difficult, curved root canals, or to clarify the diagnosis and draw up a treatment regimen.

Dental X-rays during pregnancy are also prescribed in the following cases:

• Suspicion of acute pulpitis.
• Assessment of the condition of periapical tissues, diagnosis of periodontitis.
• Detection of injuries – root and crown fractures.
• Diagnosis of surgical diseases - abscesses, periostitis, osteomyelitis, cysts, tumors.
• Treatment quality control.

Level of radiation exposure to the pregnant woman's body

How dangerous is X-ray radiation, and what could be the consequences if the study is carried out in the early stages? Most dental clinics are equipped with modern X-ray machines, which during operation emit minimal doses of ionizing radiation. For comparison, we can give an example: during an airplane flight over medium distances (about 3000 km), the radiation dose is 0.01 mSv (millisievert), while during a dental x-ray, the radiation dose is 0.02 mSv. That is, when traveling by plane in both directions, the volume of x-ray radiation received will be equal to the radiation exposure during the examination.

X-ray protective lead apron

Radiation exposure during dental x-ray scanning is reduced by using a protective lead apron and scanning a limited area. Despite this, it is still not advisable to take an x-ray in the first weeks of pregnancy.

If the study still needs to be done in the first trimester, you can contact a dental clinic equipped with a radiovisiograph - a modern type of X-ray machine.

The radiation exposure during scanning on a visiograph is minimal, ten times less than during radiography on old-style devices - 0.002 millisieverts. In addition, to obtain a high-quality image using a visiograph, a short irradiation period is sufficient - no more than 0.3 seconds, while with conventional radiography the scanning time is about 1.5 seconds. All these factors help reduce the radiation dose and make x-ray examination safer for the fetus in the first weeks of development.

At what date can a dental x-ray be taken?

Despite the low level of radiation during examination with modern devices, if possible in the early stages of pregnancy, it is still worth avoiding harmful ionizing radiation. Why? Because in the first trimester, the formation of all organs and systems occurs, so any negative impact can affect the proper development of the fetus. By the end of the first trimester, the child’s sensitivity to x-ray radiation decreases, and at the end of the second trimester, all the most important systems are formed, so during this period you can take a dental x-ray without fear of consequences, provided that all safety requirements are met.

How to make x-rays safe

During pregnancy, especially in the early stages, much attention is paid to safety measures to reduce the amount of ionizing radiation received. According to the requirements of SanPiN (sanitary rules and regulations), any X-ray room must have a lead apron and collar that do not transmit harmful X-rays. Metal has the properties of reflecting ionizing radiation, so during pregnancy, a woman’s stomach and chest are covered during the study.

In addition to using protective aprons, you can reduce the amount of radiation received using two factors - time and distance.

The idea is that the shorter the study, the less radiation the patient will receive. Protection by distance - the further a pregnant woman is from the X-ray machine tube, the lower the radiation dose. Therefore, when performing dental x-rays in the early stages, it is advisable to place the patient at the maximum permissible distance from the sensor.

Based on the above, we can conclude that in case of urgent need, dental x-rays are allowed during pregnancy, but in the early stages (approximately until the middle of the second trimester), scanning is best avoided. In the event that several images are required, a study should be carried out using a radiovisiograph. The maximum permissible number of images on a conventional device is 5 (only in the third trimester), with the help of a visiograph it is allowed to carry out no more than 15 studies with a minimum level of radiation exposure.

Special dental system for obtaining x-ray images

X-ray of a tooth during planning

During pregnancy planning, it is considered reasonable to limit the harmful effects on the body as much as possible. However, X-ray irradiation does not have sufficient power to negatively affect the eggs, therefore, a dental X-ray cannot damage the egg. Even if it is necessary to take several pictures, the load on the woman’s body will be minimal, the eggs will remain intact, and if fertilized, the fetus will develop normally.

What to do if a woman, not knowing about pregnancy, took dental x-rays in the early stages? There is no need to panic - the load on the body was minimal, but in the future it is advisable to avoid repeated x-ray scanning to avoid negative consequences.

The condition of the expectant mother's teeth and gums leaves much to be desired. Lack of calcium in the body, hormonal changes and weakened immunity lead to various diseases and pathologies, including dental ones. Many of them have hidden inflammatory processes that can only be examined after X-raying the area. It also allows you to identify the degree of destruction of the internal tissues of the tooth, periodontium and jawbone.

Is it possible to take dental photographs of pregnant women?

Dentists and scientists have not yet come to a consensus on whether pregnant women can undergo X-rays.

First of all, you need to figure out which device will be used to take the image.

If we are talking about a Soviet radiographer and the degree of radiation, then, of course, the procedure will have to be abandoned. Such a device can deliver a radiation dose of 1 rad, which is considered dangerous for fetal development in 5% of cases.

Modern visiographs (dental x-ray devices) allow you to look at the condition of your teeth relatively safely. After all, the dentist is not clairvoyant and cannot make a diagnosis based solely on visual tissue changes. Most problems come from internal inflammatory processes, destroyed roots, and caries can even develop inside the filling.

It is believed that the beam of an electronic radiovisiograph is directed clearly at a specific area (tooth, periodontium, etc.), without irradiating neighboring areas. Such a beam does not penetrate deep into the body, much less into the uterine cavity, and therefore does not pose any threat to the health of the child. In addition, the expectant mother receives microdoses of radiation (for a split second), which coincide with the normal radiation background of the environment. Even if you have to take several images of different teeth or even the entire oral cavity, the radiation dose will be no more than 0.0001 rad. Modern visiographs allow you to work with the oral cavity even without special protection.

Known Exposure to the summer sun is more dangerous than taking a picture with a modern X-ray.

Also remember that a properly taken x-ray allows you to simplify and speed up the dentist’s work significantly, as well as perform it efficiently in one session. This, in turn, will avoid the use of additional drugs when treating serious inflammations.

Early X-ray

All expectant mothers know what exactly is most responsible in the formation and development of the future baby. Therefore, doctors associate the greatest risks and likelihood of developing pathologies and defects with this period.

Unfortunately, unsafe situations for health arise (suppuration of the oral cavity, development of osteomyelitis, destruction of tooth roots, malocclusion and pathological abrasion of teeth), when it is impossible to do without an x-ray. In this situation, dentists prefer to act in the best interests of the patient, but only when it comes to immediate treatment, which cannot wait until the safe second trimester or even until the baby is born.

The situation is complicated by the fact that in the early stages many patients do not yet know about pregnancy, so they freely visit doctors, including the dentist. If you took an x-ray in the early stages, then it would not be superfluous to conduct a genetic one.

Important If you know you are pregnant, try to delay treatment until the second trimester. In the third, the risks increase again, especially in the last months.

According to research by American scientists, exposure to x-rays during pregnancy (applies to every semester) increases the chance of having a baby with insufficient weight by 5%.

In addition, there is no scientific basis for the safety of microdoses of radiation for mothers and children.

Most dentists try to play it safe and postpone treatment until the second trimester (after 16-18 weeks). Only acute infectious inflammation and purulent processes, which can really threaten the health of the fetus, do not take time. For example, untimely treatment of periodontitis, abscess, cyst and osteomyelitis can lead to blood poisoning (sepsis), which can threaten intrauterine infection and even fetal death.

In any case, before starting treatment, the patient is obliged to notify the clinic staff and the treating dentist about pregnancy and the exact period, as well as cases where deviations or defects are observed.

In order to reduce radiation exposure to the chest, pelvis and abdomen, the patient is given a protective apron made of lead, which will reflect the X-rays.

To prevent long-term X-ray treatment, you should take extra care of your teeth during pregnancy and visit the dentist at least once a quarter. Do not ignore mild pain, discomfort, bleeding and even increased sensitivity of teeth and gums, which will help you avoid treatment complications in the future.

This one of the frequently asked questions is akin to the difference between a car and a traffic light... It seems that both concepts have some kind of connection, but it is somehow difficult to compare them. It's the same here. A radiovisiograph is a system that receives x-ray radiation, transforms it into digital form and displays the image on a computer screen. Roentgen (who is Wilhelm Conrad) is a long-dead German physicist who gained worldwide fame for his discovery of short-wavelength rays with enormous penetrating power. The physicist himself called these rays X-rays (in English today they are called exactly that - X-ray), but now we often call them X-rays, and in everyday life simply “X-rays”. The unit of radiation power was also called the x-ray. Now it is clear that a visiograph and an x-ray are completely different things. If we compare the visiograph with anything, it is with x-ray film, which it is universally replacing from all areas of medicine.

Is it true that a visiograph is safer than a regular film photograph?

When asked about such a comparison, they mean the radiation exposure that the patient receives when using different techniques. In this sense, indeed, a visiograph is preferable, since its sensor is much more sensitive than the best film. Therefore, to obtain a high-quality image using a visiograph, much shorter shutter speeds are needed. To take a picture on film, the shutter speed is 0.5-1.2 seconds. To obtain the same image using a visiograph sensor – 0.05-0.3 sec. Those. 10 times shorter. As a result, the radiation exposure received by the patient when using a visiograph is reduced to an insignificant minimum.

How many pictures can you take at one time? And in general, isn’t it harmful when treating a large number of teeth that you have to take a lot of X-rays?

This is the most pressing question asked about x-rays. Either as an echo of Chernobyl, or because of life safety lessons that come to mind, but in our society there is a very strong phobia for everything that is even remotely connected in our heads with radiation. Any extra photo often raises questions about radiation sickness, or “will I glow in the dark?” Therefore, I will try to explain in more detail here. First from the point of view of naked science.

To measure the amount of radiant energy applied to living tissue, various units are used - joule per kilogram, gray, rem, sievert, etc. In medicine, for x-ray procedures, the dose received by the entire body during one procedure is usually assessed - the effective equivalent dose, measured in sieverts. According to SanPiN 2.6.1.1192-03, when carrying out preventive medical x-ray procedures and scientific research, this dose should not exceed 1000 μSv (microsievert) per year. Moreover, here we are talking specifically about preventive studies, and not about therapeutic ones, where this bar is much higher. What is 1000 µSv? Is it a lot or a little? Remembering the famous cartoon, the answer is simple - depending on what you measure it in. 1000 μSv is approximately:

• 500 targeted images (2-3 μSv) obtained using a radiovisiograph
• 100 of the same images, but using good X-ray film (10-15 µSv)
• 80 digital * (13-17 µSv)
• 40 film orthopantomograms (25-30 µSv)
• 20 * (45-60 µSv)

  So, as you can see, even if we take 1 image on a visiograph every day throughout the year, in addition to a couple of 3D computed tomograms per year, and the same number of orthopantomograms, then even in this case we will not go beyond the safe limits doses There is only one conclusion - there is no need to be afraid of receiving a significant dose during dental interventions. No matter how hard you try, it is unlikely that you will be able to go beyond the permissible values. To make it clear, below are the doses required to produce any serious health effects:

  • 750,000 μSv - short-term minor change in blood composition
  • 1,000,000 µSv - mild radiation sickness
  • 4,500,000 μSv - severe radiation sickness (50% of those exposed die)
  • A dose of about 7,000,000 μSv is considered absolutely lethal

    All these figures are incomparable in their significance with the doses we receive in everyday life. So even if, for some reason, several pictures are taken at once in a row, and the day before you were already “exposed” by doing an orthopantomogram, you don’t need to panic and run to the store to buy a Geiger counter or type “the first symptoms of radiation sickness” into an Internet search engine. . To calm yourself down, it’s better to “detoxify” with a glass of red wine. There will be no point in this, but the mood will immediately improve.

    Is it possible to do x-rays for pregnant women?

    I will not expand on the topic that it would be better to prepare for pregnancy in advance, including “preparing” your own teeth at the dentist in advance. Yes, so as not to run away later with acute pain and be killed by doubts whether this or that manipulation will harm the developing baby... Therefore, let’s leave the lyrics and look at the bare facts and common sense. Without phobias, prejudices, speculations and myths. So, is it possible to do x-rays for pregnant women? Here's what they write to us about this in the documents (SanPiN 2.6.1.1192-03):

    7.16. Pregnant women are prescribed for X-ray examination only according to clinical indications. Studies should, if possible, be carried out in the second half of pregnancy, except in cases where the issue of termination of pregnancy or the need for emergency or emergency care must be decided. If pregnancy is suspected, the question of the admissibility and necessity of an x-ray examination is decided based on the assumption that there is a pregnancy...

    7.18. X-ray examinations of pregnant women are carried out using all possible means and methods of protection so that the dose received by the fetus does not exceed 1 millisievert for two months of undetected pregnancy. If the fetus receives a dose exceeding 100 mSv, the doctor is obliged to warn the patient about the possible consequences and recommend terminating the pregnancy."

    In general, the conclusion from these two main points is simple and clear. In the first half of pregnancy, it’s definitely not worth taking pictures, but in the second half - 1 mSv for a visiograph - this is practically unlimited.

    I would also like to add here that I have often encountered the militant stubbornness of such an opinion: - absolute evil. It’s better, they say, to screw up a tooth, to cure crooked canals... there are a lot of teeth, pregnancy is more important. Moreover, such sermons are given not only by lay patients who have little understanding of the essence of things, but also often by dentists themselves, who have forgotten their school physics course. To resolve this doubt, we must understand that sources of ionizing radiation are not only found in medical offices. And you don’t have to live next to Chernobyl (and now Fukushima) to receive some doses from the environment around us every day. After all, every second we are affected by both natural sources (sun, water, earth) and man-made ones. And the doses received from them are much greater than those received from an x-ray of a tooth. For clarity, we can give one simple example. As you know from a school physics course, the sun emits electromagnetic energy in a wide range, not only in infrared (heat), visible (light), ultraviolet (tan), but also in x-rays and gamma radiation. Moreover, the higher you are from the surface of the earth, the more rarefied the atmosphere is and, therefore, the weaker the protection from sufficiently strong radiation from the sun. And after all, while “fighting” radiation at the dentist, the same people often calmly fly south to bask in the sun and eat fresh fruit. Moreover, during a 2-3 hour flight “for a healthy” climate, a person receives 20-30 μSv, i.e. the equivalent of approximately 10-15 images on a visiograph. In addition, 1.5-2 hours in front of a cathode ray monitor or TV gives the same dose as 1 picture... How many pregnant women, sitting at home, watching TV series, hanging out on the Internet, think about how many pictures they “took” while watched another program, and then discussed it with friends on the forum and social networks? Almost no one, because the average person does not associate all this with ionizing radiation, unlike an image in a doctor’s office.

    And yet, dear expectant mothers, prepare for pregnancy in advance. For many people, visiting the dentist still remains stressful. And it’s not so much that anesthesia or x-rays can be harmful during this period, but what is important is your peace of mind and the absence of unnecessary worries (of which many already have more than enough during this period).

    What is the best protection to use if you need to take a picture of a pregnant woman? Is it better if the doctor puts 2 protective aprons on me?

    The number of aprons does not matter! See above . In contact radiography, the apron essentially protects not from direct radiation, but from secondary, that is, reflected. To X-ray radiation, the human body is an optical medium, just like a glass cube is to a flashlight beam. Point the beam of a flashlight at one of the faces of a large glass cube, and, regardless of the thickness and direction of the beam, the entire cube will be illuminated. It’s the same with a person - you can swaddle him completely in lead and shine only on his head - at least a little, but it will reach every heel. So, under two aprons with a good lead equivalent, it will simply be harder for a pregnant woman to breathe.

    Is it possible to do x-rays for nursing mothers? And if possible, then what about feeding the child after the procedure?

    Can. X-rays are not the same as radioactive waste. By itself, it does not accumulate in the biological environment. If you give a loaf of bread a lethal dose, it will not mutate, get radiation sickness, or begin to “foul.” X-rays differ from light rays only in wavelength and have a direct damaging effect only under certain conditions. If you shine a flashlight into a bucket of water and turn off the flashlight, the light won't stay in the bucket, right? The same is true in a protein-fat solution, which are many biological fluids (including breast milk) - the radiation passes through, weakening in denser tissues. So, with such a load, which is necessary to work with a visiograph, the milk itself is unlikely to do anything. As a last resort, to reassure yourself, you can skip one regular feeding. Another thing is that the breast tissue itself during lactation is, of course, more susceptible to the harmful effects of radiation. But, again, we are talking about doses more powerful than is necessary for digital radiography (of course, subject to all protective measures and without “shooting” 20 times anywhere).

    P.S. Materials from articles and books by one of the most authoritative radiologists in Russian dentistry, D.V. Rogatskin, were used.