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Remove hearing aids before panoramic dental x-ray?

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I don’t mask, most of the time I just will not go anywhere that requires a mask, and if I have to have one, I only wear a clear medical face shield. It doesn’t interfere with the hearing aids.

I’m a retired dentist. No need to take them out for conventional X-rays. Definitely take them out for panoramic x-rays .Although the x-rays wont harm the hearing aids, the image of the aids on the x ray, may interfere, or mask, what the dentist is trying to diagnose.

In reply to @DBLDPR

My intention was helping you out as a medical Xray- professional and wearer myself, not argueing without knowledge. However, I am not a physicist. It’s like beating a Covid virus if you’re a virologist. These are different things, and you require different expertise.

As I think the truth is important for all of us wearers, I thank you for your proposal to contact the manufacturer. I will come back to you as soon as I have all the required information.

Untill now I am informed by Phonak already, but still need documents from Sonova which seems to be the parent company. I will publish the outcome afterwards with my comments on it. Please give me some time to get back to you…

Edited

Phonak states in the Paradise manual to remove and store the aids outside the exam room before undergoing medical or dental examination with X-ray.

Jim

Edited

That’s certainly what’s implied. I’m not convinced though. I hope the radiologist is able to get a better explanation from Phonak. Looking at other sources, it seems mainly a theoretical possibility. If the electronics were sensitive enough and if it were a big enough dose of radiation, it might cause damage.
More thinking and poking around. I would think the smaller the process size used in the cpu manufacturing would make it more susceptible to radiation damage. Cell phones use way smaller process size than hearing aids and yet I can find no info on cellphone damage from xrays. All I find regarding cellphones is people worried about the radiation they give off.

In reply to @JBC

I does not matter if Phonak actually printed that info on Page 81 emile.heilbron is not going to believe what was printed. The radiologist would say you could have printed that yourself. The problem is this radiologist is stuck in denial mode. No one said you have to remove the aids it was just suggested to remove them as a precaution. My aids went bad after I did not take them out. They did not work after leaving them in and had to be replaced. The radiologist does not believe this and suggested I was lying. I have no reason to lie. I am actually Sorry I brought it up to suggest to people that it may damage your aids that are very expensive. Thank you for finding print on the matter.

I thought I read somewhere that you should take them out. It was a simple matter to pull out my Phonak manual and look it up.

I actually save my manuals, and actually read them! lol

Jim

In reply to @MDB

I wouldn’t hold my iPhone up to my ear during a panoramic dental x-ray, either, though…! If it’s in your pocket, it’s well out of the beam whereas either in the ear canal or behind the ear are significantly more exposed.

That’s a very valid point about the decreasing semiconductor manufacturing process size. It is conceivable that the components in newer generations of HAs could be more sensitive.

If my HAs were out of warranty I wouldn’t be wearing them in a CAT scan, dental x-ray, etc.

In reply to @DBLDPR

Thanks for the reply. I have worn my ReSounds during routine dental X-rays with no issue. Never thought it being a problem. With a panoramic or one that may not be so routine, probably a good idea to be safe rather than sorry. Actually thinking to remove them won’t be easy.

In reply to @Emile030

I had a panoramic dental x-ray, they did not mention removing my hearing aids and I did not. After that the left hearing aid was just static like an old AM radio in a storm. The receiver had to be replaced.
On my return to the dentist they said I should’ve been told to remove them.

@w0pjk1: Given that my new Oticon More3s use 28nm technology, I would be reluctant to risk them in a panoramic x-ray.

Neither my dentist nor my Oticon material makes any allusion to the risk of damage due to high-energy beams, so I find your posting your direct experience valuable.

Thank you.

In reply to @w0pjk1

Hi @w0pjk1. Thanks for your interesting post, sorry to hear about your los. May I ask which you got the problem with. I only know your post from nov 2020 and do not know how you decided after that " Can’t decide between Phonak Paradise P90-RT or P90-13T"
I am in contact with Phonak sorting out and discussing radiation issues. Do hope to post more about it after awaiting there expert opinions.

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