X-Rays o.k.?

[laurelp73]

Hello, wise mommies!

I'll keep this short for now, though you'll be hearing more from me about my son's teeth :-)

I have an appointment with a natural dentist in 2 days. I don't anticipate any problems, I just thought I should have my teeth cleaned since I haven't since some time before I became pregnant in the spring of '04. I do know that this dentist requires x-rays of new patients. Is this o.k. for a breastfeeding mama? Do I sound like a nervous nellie or what? I know I need to ask her to leave my one amalgam alone during cleaning, thanks to other threads I just read.

I guess while we're on the topic of x-rays, I would love to hear what any lurking experts or dentists have to say about x-rays for a 21 month old. My son has an upcoming appointment & I'm afraid they'll want x-rays. Should I refuse or accept? I feel certain that he has some decay beginning in several teeth, though I have been brushing his teeth compulsively since he was about 17 months old (when he fell HARD on pavement & shattered his 2 front teeth).

That's it for this post. I don't have time tonight to open the can of worms about fillings, sedation, and the rest of the mess I'm afraid I have to look forward to.

So much for keeping it short! I guess this is all really bothering me right now. It's all I can think about. I'm sure you all understand:

Thanks for any help!

Laurel, adoring Mama of Wesley (1/1/05)

[heidi_m]

I'm not sure about any dentist "requiring" x-rays for new patients... I have been a new dental patient at two different dentists' offices when pregnant and certainly had no problems forgoing x-rays then. I'd imagine that if you expressed a concern they would allow you to skip them. I know plenty of people who skip them anyway, as a matter of course.

If this is a "natural" dentist, it seems odd that he would try to require x-rays anyway. I know that my best friend and her husband have always refused dental x-rays for their kids... my own have not been to a dentist but we are planning to refuse them as well. I see no reason why it should not be like any other medical treatment - vaxes, labor interventions, etc - where you are ALWAYS within your legal rights to refuse a treatment, irrespective of them trying to tell you it is "required" that they do it.

If you are at all uncomfortable having an x-ray for yourself or your son, for any reason, I say refuse it. They cannot require it of you and you certainly are not obligated to submit yourself or your child for something you do not feel is necessary or needful. I had my teeth cleaned a few months ago and they told me that I would need to come in as soon as the baby's born to have a filling replaced - NOT! That will have to wait til we're not BFing anymore so I don't imagine I'll be seeing them anytime in the next couple of years!

[kriskriskris]

I also had to have x-rays because I had to have a root canal when I was 2 months post partum, they usually put this heavy cover over you when they do the x-ray, or atleast my dentist does, if they dont offer it ask...

Also on a side note I really dont think there is a problem with bf and and x-rays because I also ended up needing a mamogram and I asked just about everyone to see if I would get different answers and everybody told me it was ok.

Good Luck!

[hockeywife]

x rays are fine when you are breastfeeding.

[laurelp73]

Originally Posted by hockeywife

x rays are fine when you are breastfeeding.

Thanks! I thought so, but just had to be sure. Actually, I didn't end up needing them anyway. The dentist just used 3 year old x-rays from my last appointment with a different dentist. They don't like to do them more frequently than every 5 yrs.