Patient's question:
I had my period on November 8th. Around November 20th, I had a 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 issues?Doctor's answer:
Taking dental X-rays involves radiation, but it is only targeted at 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, providing an initial assessment of the child's normal growth and development. After the 16th week, you can undergo a mid-trimester screening for Down syndrome. 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 these prenatal examinations, so there is no need to worry.