A review on diagnostic dental radiation risk during pregnancy: justifying The dilemma-review

Pregnancy is accompanied by a variety of physiologic, anatomic and hormonal changes that can affect the oral health. However, these patients are not medically compromised and should not be denied dental treatment simply because they are pregnant. They often pay visits to dentist for pain and infections associated with their teeth. Such patients need dental treatment and in most cases the radiograph of the involved tooth is required. It is repeatedly reported that dentists post-pone dental treatments to the period after delivery because of the insufficient knowledge of the low doses involved in diagnostic dental radiation. The delay in treatment might have adverse effects on the mother and the fetus. It is estimated that there is a one-percent increase in congenital abnormalities subsequent to an exposure of 10 rads (100 mGy) of fetal dose. Since diagnostic doses are less than 10 rads in dentistry, such abnormalities cannot be attributed to dental diagnostic doses. This article justifies with literature evidence that dental x rays are not harmful during pregnancy, provided that the dentist follows all the proper radiologic practices with respective guidelines.