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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

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Original poster

to ask would you consent to a 2 year old having an xray

44 replies

AuntiePickleBottom · 25/08/2011 22:57

my DD has just 8 teeth, the dentist want to do an xray to see if it is just tooth delay.

i really am unsure about allowing the dentist to do it

OP posts:

belledechocchipcookie · 25/08/2011 23:11

I disagree maypole. I've seen doctors ask for chest x-rays for a sore leg. I kid you not. This isn't the same as a fracture, they are all clinically necessary. X-raying a child's skull to see where the teeth are isn't. The radiation involved is tiny but is there any risk in not having it done?

belledechocchipcookie · 25/08/2011 23:13

Goodness Siamo, why on earth have you had hundreds of x-rays?

moonbells · 25/08/2011 23:21

DS had a chest X-ray at 6 months old when he got hospitalised for silly temperatures. I was more worried when they also wanted to do a lumbar puncture. (They wanted to check it wasn't meningitis.)

Dental films are usually digital these days - ask if it's digital or film. If film the dose will be higher by a fair amount. And they can change the viewing conditions with digital if it's not quite right so they don't need to repeat the X-rays if they're not perfect. I don't like any more than necessary, but DS has chalky teeth (I'm always going on about it - sorry!) which means the enamel didn't form right. I am expecting lots of dental X-rays in the next half a dozen years or so!

I would get them checked out, as if there is a problem (like the adult teeth not forming buds in the gum!) they do need to know ASAP. Baby teeth act as spacers for the adult teeth, so if some don't come through, they might need to watch the adult teeth are forming in the right positions and not cramped.

bruxeur · 25/08/2011 23:22

Bit Munchy?

In response to OP, here's a useful link showing, amongst other studies, that an intraoral Xray is the same radiation dose as one day's normal background radiation. You'd get loads more radiation from a short flight, or visiting Aberdeen for a day.

EmmalinaC · 25/08/2011 23:23

There is no way a dentist would recommend X-ray-ing a young child if they didn't think the risks of NOT X-ray-ing were greater. Our NHS dentist wouldn't X-ray DD even with suspected decay - he referred us to St George's where a consultant paediatric dentist recommended X-rays. If you are concerned about your LO's tooth development or have doubts about the dentist's judgement then you can ask for a referral to a specialist.

louismummy · 25/08/2011 23:23

I'm a dentist and I wouldn't as it will not effect management of your daughter. Also getting a good quality image would be near impossible. She is still very young and so what if she has delayed eruption. If she has no other health problems then leave it. There are 2 other dentists here with me now and they agree with me. No do not agree to it. It will not effect her treatment or management.

louismummy · 25/08/2011 23:25

oh and i've seen this before she will get them just later the her peers, don't worry at all!

belledechocchipcookie · 25/08/2011 23:27

I trained as a radiographer, I wouldn't have this done. I'd go for the 'leave it and see' approach as your child is very young and is unlikely to sit still. Not all dentists have access to digital dental equipment and if it has no effect on her treatment/management then it's pointless to put her through it. As I said before, this isn't the same as x-raying a child for a fracture or doing a chest x-ray, these are clinically necessary as it affects the treatment.

Original poster

AuntiePickleBottom · 25/08/2011 23:34

i think i will go back to the dentist and say i will wait until she is 3 and if they haven't came though then see where to go then

OP posts:

belledechocchipcookie · 25/08/2011 23:35

That's a plan. I hope they come through soon.

milkmilklemonade · 26/08/2011 08:26

why on earth not?

exoticfruits · 26/08/2011 08:34

Yes of course-how will he know otherwise?

rightothatsmethen · 26/08/2011 08:34

Yes of course

TheOriginalFAB · 26/08/2011 08:36

YABU to ask in this topic.

YANBU to question if she needs it but you need to talk to your dentist about the reprocussions of not checking what is going on.

FWIW 2 of my children have had to have x-rays and we had no choice in the matter.

Tattyhead78 · 26/08/2011 08:44

Would you let your toddler get on a plane with you?

If so, yes, have the x-ray. If not, I agree that you need to ask how the dentist would get to the root (sorry, I can't think of a better way of putting it right now, don't mean to be insensitive, this is the drivel that normally comes out of my mouth ...) of the problem otherwise. Dental health is a pretty important part of your general health, so I would definitely be more concerned about that than the x-ray.

GwendolineMaryLacey · 26/08/2011 08:50

My 3yo nephew has no teeth at all (since discovered he has a condition that causes this). When it became apparent at 18 months or so that there was something up the dentist said they would x ray him when he turned 2 to see what was going on. When he turned 2 the dentist advised against it as he decided that it wasn't something they could do anything about even if they could see teeth in there. We've since discovered he has this condition so we now know what's going on.

I would be inclined to leave it, not for any concerns but simply because it won't make any difference to the outcome.

IgnoringTheChildren · 26/08/2011 11:52

I wouldn't be concerned about a 2 year old having an X-ray in terms of the radiation levels involved if it was necessary (although "hundreds" of X-rays would be a different matter!) However I'm surprised your dentist has suggested it.

My DS1 only had 8 teeth at 24 months and was still missing 4 teeth at 3 years old (and not the 4 teeth you would expect to be the last through). As he approached his 4th birthday we started to think he was missing the last two teeth altogether, however our dentist didn't want to X-ray as it wouldn't change the outcome or any treatment at this stage.

DS1's last two baby teeth started to appear the month before his 4th birthday - it's amazing how much difference there can be between children when it comes to physical development! :)

SiamoFottuti · 26/08/2011 12:02

belle, I had congenital malformations that needed lots of monitoring and surgery, including many many xrays over several years, I also have yearly chest x-rays, am very clumsy so have had several for injuries, and also large amounts of dental work.
I don't glow in the dark though.

idlevice · 26/08/2011 12:30

The risk from the radiation is negligible - there is a much higher risk to a child's health every time the child goes in a car or near moving traffic as a pedestrian, a risk that is taken probably at least once a day by most people & certainly can't always be defined as necessary.

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