Patient's question:
I had my period on November 8th. Around November 20th, I had my dental X-ray taken, and later had a tooth extracted. Today, on December 9th, I took a pregnancy test and found out I'm pregnant. However, the dental X-ray involves radiation, and everyone suggests waiting at least three months before trying to conceive. I'm really worried—will it affect the pregnancy? Can I still carry this child to term? And will the prenatal checkups be thorough enough to detect any potential effects?Doctor's answer:
Taking dental X-rays involves radiation, but it only targets the teeth, so the radiation dose is relatively small and unlikely to affect children. You can undergo prenatal check-ups periodically. Around the 50th day of pregnancy, you can have a color Doppler ultrasound to check for the presence of a fetal pole and fetal heartbeat, which can provide an initial assessment of the child's normal growth and development. After the 16th week, you can have a mid-trimester Down syndrome screening. At the 24th week, you can also have a 4D color Doppler ultrasound for a comprehensive fetal anomaly scan. This means that if there are any issues with the child, they can be detected during the various prenatal examinations during pregnancy, so there is no need to worry.