Dental X-Rays and thyroid shields which aren't offered routinely at the dentists..please read this is important !

[ThyroidHell]

I had an e mail months ago regarding the raising cases amongst young women with thyroid cancer. As you all know dentists take a lot of x-rays and they all by law have a thyroid shield in their cupboards which they should place on your throat area during the x ray which they don't unless you ask for it. I have had many x rays done and after reading the e mail I asked for it and he was surprised ( I explained that I have a thyroid problem and been adviced to ask for this ) I myself have three daughters and would hate to see them having same problems as I have. Most people visit dentists 6 monthly these days and I bet this is never offered to them routinely although x rays are taken routinly. Please pass this information on as I feel it is a risk factor and surely is not good for a dysfunctional thyroid gland as it is . Many thanks

[shaws Administrator]

Yes, you are right. We all have had dental X-rays (even in the Dental Hospital I have never been offered one) and I doubt if anyone has ever been offered.We always find out after an event, i.e. thyroid problems. They also keep advising us to use flouride toothpaste.

[roslin]

I had crowding of my teeth as a child and had a lot of x-ray when I was about 12-13. i had a TT at the age of 21 for Thyca and I am (1980) and I am absolutely convinced that thit is the reason for the cancer.

Roslinxx

[sisa1975]

This is very interesting, I had a large number of dental x-rays in my childhood and when I was 13 I was in a crash accident which resulted in my head injury. As a result I received many x rays to my head & neck. I had a papillary thyroid cancer 15 years later.

[ThyroidHell]

It is quite alarming I agree I also forgot to mention that when you have your breast screening they have the shield ( which again isn't offered routinly) I asked when I had my mammograph couple of years ago and sure enough it was dug out from their drawer. The lady said no-one ever really ask for this!

[Hidden]

Last year I visited the dentist who almost every time, wants an xray - I asked for a sheild but they didn't have one, so I didn't have an xray! (besides teeth much better with VitD - Yay! & non-fluoride toothpaste). Loads of Xrays since childhood & amalgum......

PT for Thyroid nodule 2.5 years ago.

- I also had my first mammogram and asked for a shield, 'not necessary' as only a low dose now and she was there too - I wouldn't want her job! (they took 4, - 2 boobs, 2 armpits!)

- I also had a chest x-ray (2) - no - need to see up to neck/thyroid grr! (before I discovered vitD sorted my ribcage pain).

- Finally I had a shoulder x-ray, 3 (don't have an Egyptian massage) - no sheild, I also said about the other recent x-rays, it's only a small amount and besides it's 'only cumulative'! I make that 9 x-rays from march to sept grr! J x

If all of us ask for shields then they will have to take notice!

[ThyroidHell in reply to Hidden]

I certainly will ask every time, odd to say that its only a small amount ..well thyroid gland is small and very close to skin , not buried in the body. I am absolutely sure it is not good to have it exposed to radiation .

[Hidden in reply to ThyroidHell]

The problem is, apparently, when they put that lollipop thing to clench between your teeth the angle should avoid your neck - but if it did point to your neck having a collar would enclose the rays - which is worse! J x

[Zabby in reply to Hidden]

Do you mean that wearing the thyroid shield will actually channel the x-rays towards your neck?

[Healthseeker]

I went to a well known holistic dentist recently about having my amalgams removed, and although their digital x-rays are supposed to be very low dose, I was very disappointed when they admitted to not even possessing a thyroid collar. I booked in to see another well known holistic dentist next week and told him about the incident and he said that modern digital dental x-rays are supposed to be so accurate that there is no x-ray scatter to hit the thyroid and current protocol says they are unnecessary. Personally I would still rather have the extra protection and plan to buy my own. They are only 20 quid so why not? I may even get a full length one as my local hospital no longer uses them either, and makes a real song and dance if you have the temerity to ask for one, even for a child. This is where I'm planning to get mine: rothband.com/index.php?cPat...

[ThyroidHell]

won't cost much ! May get one for myself too. Thanks for that info.

[hairyfairy]

I`m wondering if my underactive thyroid could have been caused by yhe number of dental x-rays that I had in my late teens. The dentist that i had at the time was useless, & gave me quite a few treatments that I`m convinced were unecessary. I can`t prove this unfortunately, otherwise I would seek compensation. i know that my thyroid problems are not due to genetics.

[OUTOFSYNC]

I have spent the last year having teeth implants ( thanks to losing most of my teeth due to long undiagnosed hypothyroidism) This has forced me to undergo many x - rays including a ct scan. I too had read this info. on Thyroid cancer, and tried to protect myself by purchasing my own protective shield - because the Dentist did not offer any protection.

The company making them - needed info. from the Dentist on what level of machines were being used. I thought it a good idea to ask at my local dental Hospital for advise about what to order. They told me not to bother - because using one would likely cause 'scatter effect' to the x - ray, and the dentist would then have to repeat it without the shield anyway. The company doing the CT scan also had no protection available - and simply kept repeating that it was not harmful! My dentist also gave me the 'scatter' answer.

In the end - I gave up and simply prayed for protection each time I was given an x - ray.

These days, I'm amazed about how we all used to just hand our lives over to Medical Personnel - trusting faithfully in the Hippocratic oath!!

OOS

[thyrodia]

My identical twin sister had all her teeth capped years ago and got rid of her amalgam. I did not, and have thyroidism. My dentist has a lead shield hanging on the wall, and I just have to point to it, and now have it placed on my neck and chest every X-ray automatically.