Remove hearing aids before panoramic dental x-ray?

Should you remove hearing aids prior to having a panoramic x-ray done at a dentist office? I’m not taking a single x-ray or bite down x-ray which I assume has no impact on hearing aids. But a panoramic x-ray might be a different story. Of course you never see any signs in dental offices to removes aids when x-rays are done of any kind.

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I had x-rays done at the dentist this last fall, and I asked the same question, and was told there was no harm in wearing my aids, so I did and there was no issues in doing so.

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Had one done with phonak hearing aids in. ruined the hearing aids they had to be replaced. They said there would be no effect but they never worked correctly after the xrays… I always take them out now if they want to xray.

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I take mine out for X-rays, metal detectors. I’d rather be safe than sorry & need to replace them.

I have never taken mine out. In fact it never even occurred to me until I saw this post. I did take them out for a head MRI and that made for a difficult test because they had no plan B for communicating.

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Don’t know, the hygienist doing that at my dentist talks so much she gives me a headache. I take them out and just nod knowingly at everything she says.

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Was required to take them out for mri. Never take them out for xrays.

I have no idea if it’s necessary or not, but I do it on the better safe than sorry theory. It’s not as if taking them out is difficult or time consuming - I pull them for haircuts, gun range.

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My take is xrays shouldn’t hurt a thing. MRI would be a big no-no.

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Yep. I killed my first aids when I forgot to take them out for an MRI.

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I used to have to do MRI’s, CT’s and X-rays for an injury I had a while ago. Techs knew I had a hearing loss and made sure I took out my hearing aids so I wouldn’t damage them. Unfortunately, not everyone cares much about you.

If you think your hearing aids could be damaged, it wouldn’t hurt to remove it for a procedure and know you’ll have them when you’re finished.

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A while back I had the panoramic X-ray at my dentist’s office, and they had me remove my hearing aids.

For panoramic dental x-ray it is not necessary to remove your hearing aids, depending on what they are looking for on the x-rays. It could make artefacts around the jaw- joints and also in the midline projection of the x-ray. It will not damage your HA.

Same is for CT- scans of your head because they will lead to artifacts on the x- rays also. No damage to the HA.

Also normal x- rays of the skull and details of the skull you have to take all metal away, so hearing aids inclusive. Because it will make artifacts on the pictures not damage the HA.

For MRI you have to remove everything which is made out of metal and interfering with the magnetic field. And you have to do that before you enter the Farraday cage, outside of the room already that is.
If you do not take them out in advance they will get fired in the magnetic field to the magnetic coil. But there will be no radiology assistent over there who does not ask you to take everything out with metal and asking for cardiac devices or other metal as for instance vascular metal stents. Even metal implants in your mouth and piercings have to be taken out if possible. Some modern used special coil implants in the brain do not harm, there is a list for that available in the MRI.

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I assume this is your opinion. Your opinion is wrong based on what has happened to others when they left hearing aids in. better taking them out than be sorry for not. Good luck if you keep your in.

I am a radiologist wearing HA myself. And so yes this is my personal but also professional opinion.

I read the storys from people who tell otherwise. This must be coincidental to something else, not the x- rays.

I always wonder if I see that even some manufacturers warn for damage of HA. I do not know where this knowledge comes from. Would be nice to hear where they got this knowledge from. Maybe you can give us some information other then the above mentioned.

But be carefull in radiology departments because there are magnets for MRI Although if you don’t enter the room nothing will happen. That’s why the personal over there put their magnetic influencable belongings in caches outside of the room. (They work their all day long every day which also cumulates the magnetic influence on credit cards etc).

Please read some short iformation about x_rays on wikipeadia: X-ray - Wikipedia

And I had to grinse also when I found this scientifical paper on topic. Some dentists, which are not radiologists, even experimented it because they where interested too as you can read in that short review: Dental X rays found to have no effect on hearing aids - ScienceDirect

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Had phonak hearing aids. Worked perfect before dental XRAY. Could not hear out of them after Dental XRAY. They were sent back to phonak because of still under warranty. They said they were not repairable and they replaced them. It is better to take out. Mfg says Xray will not hurt them but in some cases it does. I was just one of the unlucky ones. Why risk that it may damage them even tho they say it will not.

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Do us a favor and ask Phonak for their commentary on your irrepearable HA’s and report us back here please. I assume that they where doing research about the cause before giving you a pair of new ones for free. I am glad for your that they gave you the warranty you payed for. Sometimes failures in fabrication happen.

The coincedence of not functioning HA’s after a visit to the dentist and getting an x- ray does not proof there is any relation. If you feel uncertain about it please take your HA’s of. Just ask the staff kindly to make the instructions necessary for the x-ray examination clear for you in a way to be able to understand them without your HA’s. They will be glad to help you out, and it hurts no one.

Result of not proofen opinion will make people afraid for x-Rays having any impact on HA’s.
Apart from that you are the only person reporting this so far and science proofs otherwise! Who do I have to believe after working as a MD PhD 40 years with x- rays and never ever hearing about this before?

Influence of x- ray’s on HA has been formerly discussed in this forum (without me being involved).

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I guess I really must have struck a nerve with you on Xrays after you not posting for over 2 years… This happened to me over 3 years ago. I am not going to contact Phonak. Since I am only a lowly user of hearing aids for over 30 years with a Double Masters Degree but not a professional like you. You stated you are the professional that knows what they are talking about working as a MD PhD 40 years so you should be able to contact them and find out how many hearing aids have gone bad from Xrays. I am sure they would be willing to release such data about the failure of there product from Xrays. As far as I am concerned this matter is closed. I will not be arguing over the pros and cons of hearing aids ands Xrays with someone who is superior and knows everything since I am only a lowly user. If you want to wear hearing aids while getting an Xray, you can go ahead but I will not and many others that read this column will not. I do not understand why someone who is a professional would not have the ability to think that users should take the aid out if they really want too be safe.

How about for a mammogram?

never had one I have no idea since it does not deal with the head. If it is similar to a MRI then I would not wear them. Better safe than sorry