I am a fairly new dental assistant?

I was wondering if I should be concerned about being exposed to radiation xray about 10 times. I am not allowed to take xrays, so while the dentist would take xrays, I would clean up the dental chair and equipment. Well, while I am standing there, he hits the wrong xray button and sets off the xray where I am standing. I have noticed my hair falling out more than normal. Should I be concerned about my health? I am not a certified D A, I have never gone to school for it. I was trained on the job. But I'm kind of scared about my body being exposed so many times? Any advice?

I am a fairly new dental assistant?
I have 2 suggestions.





#1. Ask your employer to require that all assitants wear an x-ray badge. It measures the amount of radiation you're exposed to. You mail them in every 30 days and they send back a report to make sure that no one is getting too much exposure. I would insist on it. It's not expensive for him.





#2. This happens quite a bit I suppose. If you were exposed 10x I'm sure you'll be just fine. The x-ray head is usually pointed toward the floor anyway. But if not, x-ray scatters as soon as it leaves the tube which is why you have to put the tube right on the patient's cheek. But the best suggestion yet is to just turn off the x-ray machine in the room you're cleaning up in. That way if he hits the wrong button it won't matter.





Hope this helps!
Reply:You're probably fine. He probably should be a little more careful, but dental x-ray heads really do not put out that much radiation. The way is was explained to me in my x-ray certification course was that you get more radiation from the sun walking to your car in a parking lot than you get from a dental x-ray.
Reply:(Find out when the x-ray machine was manufactured. If it uses D or E speed film then the exposure is way less than machines as recent as 15 years ago.


Does your employer often press the wrong button? If so then he has no respect for you. Probably has an elitist attitude to the less educated. He should know which button to press. If it was an oversight and happened once then I would not worry about that causing your hair to fall out. Tell him to make sure you are not still in the room when he exposes the film. Hope he uses a lead apron on his patients- ALWAYS%26gt; Not sure if exposure will cause your hair to fall out. Stress can cause your hair to fall out.
Reply:dental xrays use very little radiation, you have absolutely nothing to worry about.