Dental X-Ray Shields are Still Out There

[John Boy]

Daughter just shipped me 49 lbs of lead dental shields. Calculated how many X-Rays were taken for this many pounds ...
One Shield = 11.2gr
Number X-Rays = 30,625
Say a dentist grosses $50 a X-Ray = $1,531,250!
BTW, smelted a small ingot for this batch ... Bhn 5.0 Going to test it for a couple of weeks to see what the final Bhn is

[kbstenberg]

Thats the only reason i like going to my dentist. Everytime i leeve i have a large bag of lead free.
Kevin

[John Boy]

Interesting...this batch, 2 hours later,went from Bhn 5 to 9.8 when it was cooling down!

[shotman]

I think they are tin now something about 'LEAD FREE" that would put you at about tin hardness. The last I got from my denist you could rub them and no gray stuff on your hands.

[zomby woof]

When I worked for Kodak Dental X-Ray, We had three machines that ran over 600 packets per minute, running 24/7. We had pallets of lead rolls on the floor. I wasn't a caster back then.

[melw]

I asked my dentist about them. He said the city makes him keep track of them and show a receipt from where he disposes of them.
God I hate living in The Peoples Republic of California!
Mel W.

[montana_charlie]

Interesting...this batch, 2 hours later,went from Bhn 5 to 9.8 when it was cooling down!
I wait a full day (or longer) before checking anything. My 'dental ingots' always test at 7.8 BHN
CM

[captaint]

I have a local dentist office that calls me every 3 or 4 weeks. They give me a bag about the size of a softball. They're nearby and really nice, so I don't mind the 5 min trip. I think I have all of 5lbs now. AND I am happy to get it... enjoy Mike

[mold maker]

Just like all other free sources, dental XRay lead is going the way of the Do Do Bird. My Dentist and all the rest in a 7 office complex have gone digital. No more soft free lead.

[alamogunr]

A couple of years ago I asked my dentist about the little lead shielding from the film. He said they had gone digital for the most part but would save what they had. About 3 months later they called and asked if I wanted what they had. When I went by their office they handed me a small envelope. I could have mailed it with one stamp. I thanked them and told them not to bother.

John
W.TN

[sargenv]

The last couple times I went I got a paper lunch bag full of them.. My dentist is old school, he even still offers laughing gas.. woo hoo! :)

[John Boy]

I asked my dentist about them. He said the city makes him keep track of them and show a receipt from where he disposes of them.
God I hate living in The Peoples Republic of California!
Mel, I'm here to say ... This 49# of shields came from California. Now, whether the shields were from before or after the law, I don't know

Charlie, some interesting hardness for this batch of dental shields:
Bhn 5.0 - Day 1, warm ingot
Bhn 9.8 - Day 1, Plus 2 hrs
Bhn 8.2 - Day 2
Bhn 7.4 - Day 2, Plus 7 hrs
Bhn 8.7 - Day 3

[Curlymaple42]

Hmmm... Gotta go get a filling fixed in a few wks. I'll have to ask about this source!

[John Boy]

More on the hardness aging test of this batch of dental shields:
N/A - Day 4
8.2 - Day 5 ... tad softer than 1:40 alloy