With recent studies about dental x-rays being linked to brain tumors, should i find a dentist who uses digital x-rays? all the recent articles are scaring me, so should i look for a dentist who uses digital x-rays? do digital x-rays really make a differe

Most : Most important is to find a dentist who is very consevative in asking for x-rays in the first place. Dental xrays when done properly use very little radiation whe fast film is used but digital has the advantage because it can be inhanced after exposure to make an over exposed xray usable thus avoiding re-takes.

Digital : Digital radiographs still use radiation. I am not sure what "studies" you are referring to, but radiation used for films is not harmful due to the very, very low dosages needed for exposure. Think of it this way: dental radiographs have been used for many, many years. If there was a problem, we all would have known about it by now.

This : This study was recently released and there has not been enough time to evaluate the results or conduct confirming studies. There are occasions where single studies like this have been disproven with additional research. Organized dentistry has been very proactive in reducing radiation exposure in dental offices with the use of ultra high speed dental x-ray film and new digital systems. There has also been new recommendations put out by the american dental association that provide guidelines for appropriate use of x-rays. Digital x-rays use a slightly less amount of radiation than current film based x-rays but they use a larger sensor that some people cannot tolerate. A full mouth set of x-rays exposes a patient to less radiation that what they receive flying from nyc to los angles, so they are relatively safe. Instead of searching for a dentist that has digital x-rays, i would be more interested in their philosophy in the use of x-rays.