Dental X-rays are a common feature of routine dental visits, but the debate around their necessity and safety keeps resurfacing time and again. Over the years, concerns about their overuse, potential health risks, and financial costs have prompted questions about whether these radiographs are truly necessary or not. In 2012, a study published in the peer-reviewed journal Cancer suggested that dental X-rays could cause meningioma, a type of tumour that grows in the membranes that cover the brain and spinal cord. However, later scientists pointed out the study’s flaws, including its reliance on patients' recollection of their X-ray history—a method prone to inaccuracies. Further research found no significant link between full-mouth X-rays, which deliver higher radiation doses, and meningioma. The debate reignited in 2016 when a health economist highlighted the financial incentives of routine X-rays. Most recently, a 2024 article in Ars Technica questioned the evidence supporting routine dental X-rays, prompting discussions on whether these procedures should be reconsidered.

Here's What Science Says

Dental X-rays, particularly bitewing X-rays, are commonly used to detect cavities and monitor oral health. However, some studies suggest they may not always be necessary. A Brazilian trial on preschoolers found that visual inspections by dentists often matched or even outperformed X-rays in detecting early cavities. Similarly, reviews by the Cochrane Collaboration noted that X-rays can sometimes miss cavities or provide false negatives. Despite these findings, much of the research on dental X-rays is of low quality or conducted on extracted teeth rather than live patients, making it difficult to draw definitive conclusions.

What Are The Risks?

Dental X-rays are performed by emitting a controlled burst of radiation, which passes through the jaw and teeth to create detailed images of their internal structures. However, the radiation exposure from dental X-rays is minimal. A single bitewing X-ray delivers a dose of 0.3 to 5 microSieverts (µSv), far lower than a chest X-ray (100 µSv) or a head CT scan (1,000 µSv). Even dentists who perform multiple X-rays daily are exposed to radiation levels well below the permissible limits for healthcare workers. Modern practices, such as digital X-rays, further minimize radiation exposure.

How Can You Ensure A Safe Dental X-Ray?

Dental associations emphasize that X-rays should not be taken routinely or based on fixed schedules. Instead, dentists should assess a patient's risk factors, oral health, and symptoms before recommending radiographs. For example, the American Dental Association suggests intervals of 6 months to 3 years between bitewing X-rays, depending on a patient's age and risk for cavities.

While some dentists may overprescribe X-rays for financial gain, others adhere to the ALARA principle-Low As Reasonably Achievable. This approach ensures radiation exposure is minimized without compromising diagnostic accuracy.

Routine dental X-rays can help monitor oral health, but their necessity depends on individual circumstances. If you are concerned about radiation or cost, do not hesitate to ask your dentist about the rationale behind their recommendation. More robust research is needed to determine the true benefits and risks of frequent dental X-rays, but for now, the dose remains minimal and unlikely to harm most patients.

We have all heard the phrase ‘your eyes are the window to your soul’, while souls may be a stretch, your eyes can reveal a lot about your health, especially your heart health. The primary function of our eyes is to see, so people often wonder why they must go through eye checkups for their heart health.

According to UChicago Medicine, when our blood vessels aren't working right, it can show up in our eyes, especially in the retina. The retina is like a screen inside our eye that shows how our blood is moving. If there's a problem, our eye doctor can see changes that we can't see ourselves. This means that an eye checkup can sometimes find heart problems before they get serious, because our eyes give clues about our overall health.

During an eye exam, doctors look at both the outside and inside of your eyes. They use a special tool to check things like your pupils, the lens, the retina, and the optic nerve. By doing this, they can spot signs of various health issues.

What All Can An Eye Exam Tell?

During the eye exam, your doctor will use tools like ophthalmoscope to take a better look at things like your pupil reflex, lens of your eyes, the optic nerve and the retina. Here are some conditions your eyes can reveal,

Hypertension

High blood pressure can damage the blood vessels in your eyes, leading to problems like bleeding, blurry vision, and even vision loss. Ophthalmologists can see signs of high blood pressure in your eyes, sometimes even before you know you have it. They look at the size of your eye's blood vessels; if they're not the right size, it can be a warning sign. Often, people don't know they have high blood pressure until their eye doctor finds these signs.

Diabetes

Eye exams can also reveal blocked arteries. If doctors see small clumps in your eye's blood vessels, it could mean there's a problem with the arteries that carry blood to your head or heart. Diabetes is another condition that can be spotted through eye exams. High blood sugar can damage the small blood vessels in your eyes, leading to vision problems. Catching diabetes early through an eye exam can help prevent serious complications.

Other Health Issues

Eye exams can also uncover other health problems like arthritis. Inflammatory diseases can cause eye inflammation, leading to pain, redness, and vision loss. Even dry eyes can sometimes be linked to these conditions.

Can Eye Diseases Mean Heart Troubles?

If your Ophthalmologist notices marks left by the dead cells in your eyes known as RIPLs, which are Retinal Ischemic Perivascular Lesions. According to Journal of American Heart Association these are tiny marks on the back of the eye, caused by a lack of blood, can tell us if someone might have heart problems due to poor blood flow.

Sometimes, these marks mean you had an eye stroke, which happens when blood flow to your eye is blocked. If you have many marks, it might mean you have heart problems like high blood pressure or high cholesterol. However, not all marks mean you had an eye stroke. This is why one must make sure to get regular eye check-ups.

In the recent years there have been questions about the potential of ivermectin which is used to treat cancer. These questions have surged, so have the misinformation. This was originally used as an anti-parasitic drug and it gained attention during the COVID-19 pandemic, with claims that it could treat the virus. However, these claims have been debunked by many different scientific studies. The US Food and Drug Administration also notes that no clinical trial data found ivermectin to be effective against COVID-19 in humans. Now, a new wave of discussions suggest that the drug could treat cancer. How true is that? Let's find out.

What Ivermectin Is Actually Approved For?

Ivermectin is a well-established medication that is highly effective—against parasite. It was developed to treat topical parasitic infections and has been widely used for conditions like river blindness and scabies. The drug's significance is treating these diseases was so profound that researchers who studied it won the Nobel Prize in 2015.

The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved ivermectin tablets for treating specific parasitic infections in humans. It is also available as a lotion to treat lice and as a cream for rosacea. Additionally, veterinarians also use it to prevent and treat parasitic diseases in animals. however, none of these uses include cancer treatments.

The Misinformation Around Ivermectin

Even though there has been a lack of scientific evidence, ivermectin gained popularity as a cancer cure. The influential platforms are to be blamed. There is also a podcast episode which features a well-known actor, Mel Gibson who suggested that the drug helped people recover from Stage 4 cancer. The podcast was called "The Joe Rogan Experience". The episode received millions of views and thus lead to a spike in interest and misinformation surrounding ivermectin's potential benefits.

What added more to the controversy is that lawmakers in multiple states have proposed and even passed legislation that has made it easier to obtain ivermectin without a prescription. While this could seem like a step to expand and extend treatment options, medical experts have pointed that this could lead to misuse of an unproven drug to treat serious conditions like cancer.

What The Science Says About Ivermectin and Cancer?

As of now, there is no solid evidence that ivermectin can cure or even treat cancer in humans. There are some laboratory studies that suggest that ivermectin could kill certain cancer cells under specific condition. This was led by Dr Peter P Lee, the chair of the department of immuno-oncology at the Beckman Research Institute of City of Hope in Duarte, Calif. However, these findings are preliminary and do not indicate that the drug is effective in real-world cancer treatment.

There are studies in human cells that also suggest that ivermectin could trigger immune response that could be beneficial in fighting cancer. Research in mice has shown that while ivermectin does not shrink tumors, it could be combined with existing cancer immunotherapy. Scientists are also trying to explore whether it is at all effective for cancer treatments. However, all these studies are still at their early stages.

Are There Any Risks In Using Ivermectin For Cancer?

Neurological issues: High doses can lead to blurred vision, confusion, and even seizures.

Drug interactions: Ivermectin may interfere with the way the body processes other medications, such as blood thinners, potentially leading to dangerous side effects.

Toxicity risks: Overuse can cause toxicity, leading to central nervous system damage, coma, or even death.

Delaying proven treatments: Perhaps the most dangerous risk is that some patients may forgo or delay effective cancer treatments in favor of an unproven drug, allowing the disease to progress unchecked.

Cardiovascular diseases is the number one reason for death among women and men according to the Centers of Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Statistics show that about 44% women are living with heart diseases and it is responsible for the death of 1 in 5 women.

There are many risk factors for heart diseases like high blood pressure, which often goes undiagnosed for women. While studies have shown that women are more likely to live longer, even with diseases, a recent report shared how women are also more likely to have cardiovascular diseases than men.

According to the study published in the American College of Cardiology, even though women often try to live healthier, if they have issues like bad food habits or high blood pressure, their risk of heart disease goes up much more than it does for men. This is a big deal because, as CDC notes, heart disease is the number one killer for everyone in the United States, and we need to understand why women are affected more.

How Heart Diseases Go Undiagnosed In Women

Often doctors don't pay as much attention to the heart risks women face. They might not realize how much things like diet or stress can hurt a woman's heart. Also, women might not get as much advice on how to change their habits to be healthier. Historically, medicine has ignored, or under-studied issues faced by women or how their bodies may react to treatments.

Doctors say we need to look at each person's risks differently, because what works for one person might not work for another. We need to stop thinking that everyone's heart risks are the same and start giving women the special care they need.

Researchers looked at a lot of people in Canada, over 175,000 of them, to see how different things affect their heart health. They checked what people ate, how well they slept, if they exercised, and if they smoked. They also looked at blood sugar, cholesterol, and blood pressure. All these things can make heart disease more likely. The researchers followed these people for years to see who got heart problems like heart attacks or strokes, and who died from heart disease. This helped them figure out how much each risk factor matters.

How Healthcare For Women Needs To Improve

Experts are emphasizing on how doctors must give women personalized advice about their heart health, because what helps one woman might not help another. We need to look at each woman's risks and give them the right care. Although this often goes unnoticed, studies have shown how estrogen has a protective effect on the heart. According to British Heart Foundation, when estrogen levels fall, your arteries build up fat causing them to be narrower and increasing your risk of heart diseases.

Living A Healthy Life

Even though bad habits can be really hard on women's hearts, good habits can really help. Eating healthy foods, moving your body, and keeping your blood pressure in check can make a big difference. Doctors need to talk to women about these things and help them make healthy choices. We need to focus on helping women build good habits, because they can protect their hearts a lot.