←back to thread

Routine dental X-rays are not backed by evidence

(arstechnica.com)
352 points keithly | 1 comments | 14 Oct 24 21:37 UTC | HN request time: 0s | source
Show context
pandatigox ◴[15 Oct 24 05:59 UTC] No.41845382[source]▶
Current final year dental student pitching in here. While dentists of the past may push for unnecessary annual radiographs, the curriculum in dental school has changed to favour evidence-based dentistry. Annual bitewings are only indicated if you're a high caries risk, and, as the article mentions, 2-3 years if you're low caries risk. So your younger/newer dentist will be following much better protocols (and hopefully not scamming you)!
replies(13): >>41845600 #>>41845764 #>>41846436 #>>41847074 #>>41847971 #>>41848039 #>>41848503 #>>41848894 #>>41848929 #>>41849355 #>>41849576 #>>41850511 #>>41850865 #
crimsoneer ◴[15 Oct 24 08:50 UTC] No.41846436[source]▶
Slightly worrying that evidence-based dentistry wasn't the default position (though not surprising). I'm always kind of amazed that when I look up the robust evidence for even things as common as flossing, the evidence just...doesn't seem to be there. Let alone all the myriad of dental products from various mouth washes, tooth pastes, brushes and water picks.

How we've ended up regulating medicine to the nth degree, but when it's teeth we're like "oh well, lol", continues to mystify me.

replies(9): >>41846657 #>>41846676 #>>41846685 #>>41846699 #>>41847176 #>>41847273 #>>41847797 #>>41848386 #>>41850321 #
1. ipqk ◴[15 Oct 24 16:33 UTC] No.41850321[source]▶
There just wasn't evidence-based studies for a lot of common dental practices. Not unlike when the FDA was created, a lot of old medicines were just given a pass, even though they aren't useful (like how Acetaminophen is barely better than placebo — it'd never be approved today).

Just because there's no actual studies for flossing, that doesn't mean that flossing is bad or not-needed per se, but there does need to be more basic-level studies for it. I had bad gum-disease in my 20s, but once I actually started flossing daily, it stopped progressing. So it clearly helped me, but a better study on whether everyone needs to floss and how often should be done.