X-Ray Crazy

I have so many interesting things to blog about after spending almost 9 months in America, but today I just had to vent my frustration over the seemingly craze over X-rays. What is the deal?
I have had many x-ray related conversations with my doctor, the chiropractor, the pediatrician, friends and today the dentist. So here is what it went like today.

Hygenist: What are we doing for you today?
Me: Just a cleaning.
Hygenist: Well, let's get your x-ray and then we'll get started.
Me: I don't want to have an x-ray.
Hygenist: Well, the dentist won't even look at your teeth without an x-ray. We can't even clean them or anything without an x-ray.
Me: That's silly. You need an x-ray to clean my teeth?
Hygenist: Yes.
Me: Is this your policy for children as well?
Hygenist: Yes, for everyone.
Me: Well, I'll be leaving now and I'll be canceling my daughter's appointment too.

What is it with x-rays. I know dentist like to x-ray so they can see cavities inside or between the teeth or whatever, but for goodness sake, I don't have the right to say I don't want an x-ray and still get my teeth cleaned? That is crazy!

So I called Matt and told him about all this craziness and he agreed to call and see if he could find another dentist that would clean our teeth without x-rays. Everyone of them he called said they needed x-rays and one office worker even told him it was the law. He wanted to ask her which law, but decided not to harass her. He's so nice. I mean really people - does no one else see the breakdown of our freedoms in this country? I don't seriously think it is a law that you must have an x-ray when you go to the dentist. Matt says maybe it is homeland security that has decided every American needs an x-ray at the dentist so that they will have dental records for everyone. Ha!Ha! If so, BIG Gov't - get out of my mouth!!! The pharmacist at CVS heard me talking with Matt about it and said he thinks it is a ploy to get more money since x-rays are so expensive. He suggested finding one of those orthodontist that give free consultations and then take the x- ray over to the dentist. Great idea, if it were the $ that concerned me. It is the point of the whole thing. I should be able to get my teeth cleaned without having a stinkin x-ray. Period!

One more thought on x-rays. Just something to chew on. Why won't they give you an x-ray when you're pregnant? Yet, when you raise a red flag about the safety of x-rays in general they tell you that you get more radiation from the sun walking to your car from their office than you get from the x-ray. This makes no sense to me? I mean pregnant women rarely have deformed children due to the radiation they received from walking across a parking lot- even though pregnant women walk across many, many parking lots throughout their pregnancy. Hum??? Am I ignorant here??? Is there something I don't know? OK - well that's my story for the day.