x-ray comparisons
There are many websites which comparisons are made between dental x-rays and other things.
There are huge inconsistencies between these comparisons.
This is presumably to enhance the public perception of dental x-rays.
But do this comparisons make any sense?
Almost all comparisons are made with an event that takes much longer than taking of an x-ray.
My best guess (using Google) is that exposure to radiation from a dental x-ray is between a fraction of a second and ten seconds.
For example, is there are a difference between being exposed to the same amount of radiation in ten seconds, as receiving it over a year? The effect on the body may well be different.
One website compared a dental x-ray with 6 months of background radiation.
Here are some comparisons with other things.
Taking 30 Aspirins in 30 minutes is equal to taking one Aspirin a day for 30 days.
Drinking one drop of concentrated nicotine equal to the nicotine in one packet to the is equal to smoking a packet of cigarettes.
Drinking ten litres of water in one minute is equal to drinking one bottle of water an hour.
In the above cases, the items compared are equal. However, the effect on the body will be very different. In the above cases, the first action may make you very unwell.
Here are some other situations where comparisons are not useful.
Running 1600 metres in 5 minutes is the same as walking the same distance in 15 minutes.
Being in 40 degree heat (Celsius) for 30 minutes is equal to being in 20 degree heat for one hour.
Getting a 200 volt electric shot for one second is equal to getting a 20 volt shock for 20 seconds.
More useful comparisons of dental x-rays may include:
A dental x-ray is equal to (how many times?) a person is in the same room when the x-ray was taken.
A dental x-ray is equal to what how many other types of other x-rays?
A dental x-ray is equal to what fraction of x-rays used in radiotherapy?
A dental x-ray is equal to how long spent in outer space? (Astronauts are exposed to cosmic radiation.)
A dental x-ray is equal is being what distance from the Hiroshima blast?
Hopefully I have made my simple point that two events may be equal in some ways, but have very different effects on the body. Also it may be more useful to compare things that of similar duration in time.
There are huge inconsistencies between these comparisons.
This is presumably to enhance the public perception of dental x-rays.
But do this comparisons make any sense?
Almost all comparisons are made with an event that takes much longer than taking of an x-ray.
My best guess (using Google) is that exposure to radiation from a dental x-ray is between a fraction of a second and ten seconds.
For example, is there are a difference between being exposed to the same amount of radiation in ten seconds, as receiving it over a year? The effect on the body may well be different.
One website compared a dental x-ray with 6 months of background radiation.
Here are some comparisons with other things.
Taking 30 Aspirins in 30 minutes is equal to taking one Aspirin a day for 30 days.
Drinking one drop of concentrated nicotine equal to the nicotine in one packet to the is equal to smoking a packet of cigarettes.
Drinking ten litres of water in one minute is equal to drinking one bottle of water an hour.
In the above cases, the items compared are equal. However, the effect on the body will be very different. In the above cases, the first action may make you very unwell.
Here are some other situations where comparisons are not useful.
Running 1600 metres in 5 minutes is the same as walking the same distance in 15 minutes.
Being in 40 degree heat (Celsius) for 30 minutes is equal to being in 20 degree heat for one hour.
Getting a 200 volt electric shot for one second is equal to getting a 20 volt shock for 20 seconds.
More useful comparisons of dental x-rays may include:
A dental x-ray is equal to (how many times?) a person is in the same room when the x-ray was taken.
A dental x-ray is equal to what how many other types of other x-rays?
A dental x-ray is equal to what fraction of x-rays used in radiotherapy?
A dental x-ray is equal to how long spent in outer space? (Astronauts are exposed to cosmic radiation.)
A dental x-ray is equal is being what distance from the Hiroshima blast?
Hopefully I have made my simple point that two events may be equal in some ways, but have very different effects on the body. Also it may be more useful to compare things that of similar duration in time.