Dental xrays and thyroid problems later in life

[Texashiker]

Since radiation can be bad for the thyroid, can dental xrays affect the thyroid later in life?

My brother developed thyroid problems a couple of years ago, he was only around 40 years old at the time.

When my brother and I were kids, my mom took us to the dentist on a regular basis. We probably got xrays every 6 months? At the very least once a year.

I am wondering if the dental xrays 30 years ago could be having an adverse affect on my brothers thyroid?

 

[crashtestdummy]

Since radiation can be bad for the thyroid, can dental xrays affect the thyroid later in life?

My brother developed thyroid problems a couple of years ago, he was only around 40 years old at the time.

When my brother and I were kids, my mom took us to the dentist on a regular basis. We probably got xrays every 6 months? At the very least once a year.

I am wondering if the dental xrays 30 years ago could be having an adverse affect on my brothers thyroid?

Extremely unlikely. The radiation is much too low dose, and too focused on a region other than your thyroid to cause a problem.

For reference:

http://xkcd.com/radiation/

A dental x-ray is 5 microsieverts, you get 10 microsieverts of radiation a day just standing around at sea level (40 from a flight). Potassium atoms in your body give you 78 times as much radiation per year.

You'll be just fine.

 

[HardcoreRobot]

why dont you have thyroid problems then? (or everyone that goes to the dentist, so yeah basically everyone)

 

[Texashiker]

why dont you have thyroid problems then?

I dont know.

Maybe its related to our diet? Maybe there are certain things we do not understand?

 

[JeffreyLebowski]

I dont know.

Maybe its related to our diet? Maybe there are certain things we do not understand?

There is only one thing to understand: Life is a terminal illness.

Some people get cancer others don't. unless the both of you are joined at the hip and have never left eachothers sides, then you have led different lives and had different experiences with life. Therefore there can litteraly be millions of differences in your life that addd up to him getting cancer and not you (yet)

 

[Texashiker]

Therefore there can litteraly be millions of differences in your life that addd up to him getting cancer and not you (yet)

My brothers thyroid is acting up, he has to take some kind of medicine for it, but he does not have cancer.

 

[scott916]

I always had dentists that put on lead vests that went over my neck with dental x-rays. www.youtube.com/watch?v=GCZrz8siv4Q

 

[interchange]

Radiation causes thyroid (and other) cancers, not other thyroid diseases.

 

[Bateluer]

You have defective genes man.