A standard session at the dentist often includes a cleaning and diagnostic X-rays. But if you have no discomfort and your teeth are doing fine, you should probably skip the X-rays. They could increase your risk of developing a brain tumor. Children may be especially vulnerable.A study performed by researchers from Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Yale University School of Medicine, Duke University, University of California San Francisco and Baylor College of Medicine, found a correlation between frequent dental X-rays and the risk of developing meningioma, the most common form of brain tumor in the United States.
People who had a panorex X-ray, a dental X-ray which displays the entire mouth in one view, were found to be at an especially high risk. Children under 10 who had experienced a panorex X-ray were 4.9 times more likely to develop meningioma. Adults with a history of this type of X-ray were 3 times more likely to develop meningioma.
“The findings suggest that dental X-rays obtained in the past at increased frequently and at a young age, may be associated with increased risk of developing this common type of brain tumor,” says Elizabeth Claus, M.D., Ph.D., a neurosurgeon at Brigham and Women’s Health and Yale University School of Medicine. “This research suggests that although dental X-rays are an important tool in maintaining good oral health, efforts to moderate exposure to this form of imaging may be of benefit to some patients.”
http://www.easyhealthoptions.com/alternative-medicine/dental-x-rays-linked-to-brain-tumors/
