What sort of health concerns do you have about the dental profession?

[brotherbloat]

In dental school, for instance, how much exposure to x-rays do you have and what precautions are taken to minimize student exposure? Are the rooms where x-rays are taken lead-lined or is it all out in the open? How about exposure to amalgum vapors when you're filling cavities? I have read that this can be dangerous. Can you choose whether or not to fill cavities with amalgam versuse the white (not sure what the technical name is) fillings in dental school?

Thanks!

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[toofache32]

The thing to remember is that dentists die of the same diseases as everyone else. Don't get caught up in the unfounded anti-mercury bunk. The last thing the dental profession needs is another Hal Huggins.

 

[ItsGavinC]

I have none of those concerns, nor any others. Universal precautions protect from disease. Standards protect from excess radiation. Amalgam is safe (but more and more patients want composite resins rather than amalgam).

In short, I have no issues with dentistry.

 

[Biogirl361]

while i think this is a valid concern, i doubt if you'd be allowed to avoid these things in dental school... if we're not allowed to double glove or otherwise avoid people with infectious diseases because "that's the risk you take as a professional" (not my opinion) then i highly doubt you can choose not to use amalgam.

 

[shopaholic]

It doesn't matter to me if people use composite or amalgam. I'm more concerned with Nitrous exposure and the formocresol. Kids cry, you get overexposed and it leaks thru the rubber dam. I say medicate them instead.

 

[Dr.BadVibes]

My biggest fear is back pain!!! its the only thing that scares me.....my cousin who has been practicing for only about 10 years complains about his back all the time.....ughhhh.

when I get my loupes I hope that they work out for me.

 

[brotherbloat]

Has anyone looked at the Consumers for Dental Choice web page and if so, what do you think of the studies on there that suggest a correlation between amalgam and neurological problems?

What do dental profs at school say about these issues if a student brings up health concerns over amalgam. Could there be any truth to a possible link here? It seems pretty plausible to me that brushing teeth, chewing gum, etc. could release small amounts of mercury vapor into the body that over time and accumulation, can cause neurological problems.

I understand that in dental school it might be hard not to use them, but are any of you who are practicing dentsits/ about to practice planning to not use amalgam at all--be mercury-free dentists?

 

[brotherbloat]

Another question--as for x-rays, what standards for the practitioner are put in place in dental school? For example, if there's a pregnant student, what can she do to avoid excess radiation?

Also, what are dental students taught in terms of recommended x-ray frequency for patients? I, myself, think that dentists who recommend yearly x-rays, for kids or otherwise, are insane. That is way too much x-ray overexposure, any x-ray radiation is harmful when it adds up overtime, no matter if it's just one small area of the body like the jaw.

 

[toofache32]

Has anyone looked at the Consumers for Dental Choice web page and if so, what do you think of the studies on there that suggest a correlation between amalgam and neurological problems?

What do dental profs at school say about these issues if a student brings up health concerns over amalgam. Could there be any truth to a possible link here? It seems pretty plausible to me that brushing teeth, chewing gum, etc. could release small amounts of mercury vapor into the body that over time and accumulation, can cause neurological problems.

I understand that in dental school it might be hard not to use them, but are any of you who are practicing dentsits/ about to practice planning to not use amalgam at all--be mercury-free dentists?

You gotta be kidding me. THERE IS NO LINK BETWEEN AMALGAM AND ANY SYSTEMIC ILLNESSES. These "studies" are generally a great example of poor science. The studies I've seen against amalgam fail to control for all known variables.

It defies logic. If amalgams caused these problems, they would be way more common. It is hard to find someone walking around without a metal filling in their mouth. But only a small minority of these get these neurological diseases. Also, the incidence of these diseases is the same in people with and without amalgams in their mouths.

Just because you see it on the internet doesn't give it credibility. Any yahoo with $20 a month can put up a web page. If you're going to dental school and getting a "Dr." in front of your name, you have to learn to critically evaluate evidence. Not only with amalgam, but also with everyday things like the Dentsply Rep coming to your office and giving you "facts & statistics" on their new products. Ask to see the original scientific article so you can interpret the numbers yourslef. Otherwise you will end up as one of these anti-amalgam fruitcakes.

 

[simpledoc]

My biggest fear is back pain!!! its the only thing that scares me.....my cousin who has been practicing for only about 10 years complains about his back all the time.....ughhhh.

when I get my loupes I hope that they work out for me.

i totally second that! back ache is the dentist's biggest health concern, followed by neck pain ..but wait! what about occupational stress?? this are among the highest in dentistry compared to any other profession

 

[DrJeff]

i totally second that! back ache is the dentist's biggest health concern, followed by neck pain ..but wait! what about occupational stress?? this are among the highest in dentistry compared to any other profession

I'll put a third on that statement!

As for the biggest occupational hazard and/or health concern, I'd through in being a male working in an office with 10 females

 

[12YearOldKid]

Another question--as for x-rays, what standards for the practitioner are put in place in dental school? For example, if there's a pregnant student, what can she do to avoid excess radiation?

Also, what are dental students taught in terms of recommended x-ray frequency for patients? I, myself, think that dentists who recommend yearly x-rays, for kids or otherwise, are insane. That is way too much x-ray overexposure, any x-ray radiation is harmful when it adds up overtime, no matter if it's just one small area of the body like the jaw.

The practitioner has practically zero exposure to x-rays unless he is holding films in the patient's mouth like a *****. And dental x-rays are incredibly low dose - especially digital. You get about as much x-ray exposure visiting Denver, Colorado for a week as you do getting a full-mouth series. I could take 20 digital radiographs (a full-mouth series) every 3 months on you for the rest of your life and the dose would still be less than a CAT scan. The benefits far outweigh the risks.

 

[madin]

I was always told that the hands will be the part of the body that will hurt the most. After a full day of work, it turns out my back, neck, and legs hurt the most. My hands are the least stressed part. These dental chairs should have a back rest or something.

Most dental assistants are so brave that they are willing to hold the x-ray cone still for the patient while I press the button behind the wall.

I wonder how good the masks work. I can smell teeth particles in the air especially when badly decayed.

 

[airvent]

The radiation from dental X-rays are extemely low, and pose no real threat to health. Although extra pracautions are taken to protect a developing fetus.

I never heard of mercury vapors from amalgams. And i have yet to hear of someone haing adverse health effects due to amalgams. So relax and try not to perpetuate the myth

 

[rrc]

In dental school, for instance, how much exposure to x-rays do you have and what precautions are taken to minimize student exposure? Are the rooms where x-rays are taken lead-lined or is it all out in the open? How about exposure to amalgum vapors when you're filling cavities? I have read that this can be dangerous. Can you choose whether or not to fill cavities with amalgam versuse the white (not sure what the technical name is) fillings in dental school?

Thanks!

A coast to coast plane ride will expose a person to approximately 5 millirems of radiation. A panorex radiograph exposes you to approximately 10 millirems. So a round trip plane ride from New York to California is the same as a panorex. This is a good thing to memorize as well because patients often ask about radiation dose exposure.

 

[12YearOldKid]

A coast to coast plane ride will expose a person to approximately 5 millirems of radiation. A panorex radiograph exposes you to approximately 10 millirems. So a round trip plane ride from New York to California is the same as a panorex. This is a good thing to memorize as well because patients often ask about radiation dose exposure.

Definitely. I think I have had a lot more patients who are afraid of radiographs than are afraid of needles. You seat them in the chair, put on the lead apron, point the tubehead at them and they get this look on their face like you just locked them in the core of a nuclear reactor.

 

[ItsGavinC]

Definitely. I think I have had a lot more patients who are afraid of radiographs than are afraid of needles. You seat them in the chair, put on the lead apron, point the tubehead at them and they get this look on their face like you just locked them in the core of a nuclear reactor.

We're all digital, so ours are scared AND amazed, not just scared.

(But seriously, it's great to have the image pop up in front of the patient instantly).

 

[DrJeff]

We're all digital, so ours are scared AND amazed, not just scared.

(But seriously, it's great to have the image pop up in front of the patient instantly).

Yah, but if when the image pops up instantly, especially if its for a working length film during an endo, than your assistant doesn't get to sweat it out while developing the film in the quick fix in the darkroom

Seriously though, digital is an investment that I've found to be worth every cent (and it was ALOT of cents) that I paid for it

 

[kerrydds06]

Needle/bur stick, probability low of getting infected with anything, but the follow up proceedure sucks.

 

[Dr.BadVibes]

how bout loss of hearing??? I can imagine that dentists must develop hearing problems throughout their career

 

[toofache32]

how bout loss of hearing??? I can imagine that dentists must develop hearing problems throughout their career

From what? Screaming kids?

 

[Dr.BadVibes]

From what? Screaming kids?

definitely screaming kids.....there are so many kids that scream for like 20 minutes straight at the top of their lungs.....if I ever get into pedo, my hearing will def be a concern for me

....but I was referring more to the highspeed.....

I dunno, but ive heard this somewhere.....but I cant recall where

 

[toofache32]

definitely screaming kids.....there are so many kids that scream for like 20 minutes straight at the top of their lungs.....if I ever get into pedo, my hearing will def be a concern for me

....but I was referring more to the highspeed.....

I dunno, but ive heard this somewhere.....but I cant recall where

I don't remember my highspeed ever being that loud. Certainly not as loud as my car stereo.

 

[Dr.BadVibes]

I don't remember my highspeed ever being that loud. Certainly not as loud as my car stereo.

yah at first it didnt make sense to me either, but I remember hearing somewhere that loss of hearing is common with dentists.....and other than screaming kids, I dont know where else it could happen other than the highspeed

how bout loss of vision???