In a pregnant patient who requires dental radiographs and has no prior records, what is the most appropriate approach to obtaining dental x-rays?

• A. Obtain the minimum necessary radiographs with proper shielding
• B. Delay radiographs until after delivery
• C. Take full-mouth radiographs with increased exposure
• D. Do not treat the toothache

Answer: (A)

In pregnancy, the guiding idea is to keep radiation exposure to the fetus as low as reasonably achievable (ALARA) while still gathering the information needed to diagnose and treat the patient. When there are no prior records, you shouldn’t assume a full imaging workup is needed. Instead, you justify each radiograph and obtain only the minimum number of images necessary to address the clinical issue, using proper shielding to protect the abdomen and thyroid region. This approach gives you the essential diagnostic information—such as locating sources of pain, assessing caries, and evaluating supporting structures—without exposing the fetus to unnecessary radiation. Delaying imaging would leave the dental problem untreated and could worsen pain or infection; increasing exposure or taking unnecessary views would contradict the goal of minimizing dose.