New Dental X-ray Danger

 

1 June, 2012

Does your dentist take X-rays every time you get a checkup? If so, there’s a new study that you should know about.

Researchers from Yale and Brigham and Women’s Hospital found that people (mean age 57) who received “bitewing” exams (using X-ray film held in place by a tab between the teeth) yearly or more frequently over their lifetimes were 50% more likely than a control group to develop a meningioma, a noncancerous brain tumor that can cause headaches, vision problems and loss of speech, during a five-year period. People who had been given “panorex” exams (X-rays that show all of the teeth on one film) one or more times a year had triple the risk.

It is true that modern dental X-rays use less radiation than in the past, but any exposure is risky.

“I go to the dentist two or three times a year, but haven’t had an X-ray in probably 10 years,” says Keith Black, MD, chairman of the department of neurosurgery at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles. Dr. Black’s advice…

Refuse “routine” X-rays. If your dentist has examined your teeth and deemed them healthy, don’t allow him/her to take an X-ray “just to be safe.” Risk for a brain tumor increases with every X-ray.

Limit the exposure. If you have a cavity or other problems, ask your dentist to X-ray only that area. Less is more. The American Dental Association recommends that adults get their teeth X-rayed every two to three years (children—one X-ray every one to two years). Unless your dentist needs to evaluate a specific problem or plan a procedure, you don’t need an X-ray.

Listing Details

Publication                            Bottom Line Health

Original publication date      June 1, 2012

http://www.bottomlinepublications.com/content/article/health-a-healing/new-dental-x-ray-danger

Dental X-Rays Linked To Brain Tumors

Easy Health Options Staff | Apr 11, 2012 | Comments 2

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/