Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
Does anyone know a place where one can get just a teeth cleaning without xray's? I live in the Phoenix area (Sedona) and willing to travel to get this done. The places I have called so far say that "xrays are required by state law" but that is not true. Sounds official but definitely not true. Perhaps there is a school or a group of oral hygienists somewhere nearby? Any suggestions? Thanks!
I have consistently asked for no xrays since the early 80s.
I got my teeth cleaned just this week...$137 with a syringe of whitening for free,
(I have my own thingies). I told her no xrays and she gave me the same old rigamarole.
When she said so sweetly that she didn't want to clean back there blindly and she would
not charge AND that xrays were digitized so there are sooo little rays....I finally said ok.
Then when she was done...I said, See? For 40 yrs they never show ANYthing.
I am always fine.
Sooo next time I will insist absolutely none, my foot will be down.
It was an additional $62, btw....I didn't have to pay...for no reason.
I think xrays are unnecessary for a simple cleaning and a waste of money. Plus I have a thyroid problem which I believe could have been caused by all the xrays given to me as a child without the shield. (I had lots of dental work over the years.) In any case, with determination (I have moved quite a bit over the years -I am 63), I have found dentists who will do a cleaning without xrays - it just takes a while to find one in each place I have lived.
Last edited by audreylynn; 02-15-2014 at 07:18 AM..
Reason: typo
I agree that Xrays are probably not necessary every year. But, if I were a dentist and I wanted to have all the information necessary to advise my patients, then I would want them.
There is a happy medium between an Xray every 40 years, and an Xray every year. I'm for having a relationship with my dentist which is somewhere in between helping him pay for his over the top overhead, and having my needs met.
I don't know anyone specifically in Phoenix area. Most dentists will not do a cleaning without x-rays simple because there are liable issue. If a cleaning is done and there is unlying problem such as gum disease, then the dentist is to blame for because the dentist fail to diagnose the gum disease. According to me, Taking x-rays is inexpensive and x-rays will show if you have any cavities between your teeth. Good luck.
The amount of radiation from a dental x-ray is 1/1000th that most people get on the job each year. They are very very safe.
X-rays are also the single most important general diagnostic tool a dentist has. Without them a cavity may become a crown or root canal or maybe an extraction.
Were I a dentist, I would not treat a patient who refused x-rays.
I believe in dental x-rays, but personally I like to have them once every two years rather than once a year. I have found that most dentists will acquiesce in that if you just sign a statement that you refused the x-rays.
X-rays show underlying problems that teeth cleaning doesn't. Many dentist don't want the liability of a patient later complaining that they didn't discover something while cleaning the teeth. Our insurance covers annual x-rays, most do. It can save you a lot of problems and headaches and/or money in the future.
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.
Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
