Potential meningioma and thyroid cancer risks from dental X-rays.

Brighton and Sussex Medical School have revealed that a repetition of dental X-ray exposure to the meninges and thyroid gland is associated with an increased risk of meningioma and thyroid cancer. During the past three decades, there has been an increasing number of diagnoses of both of the cancers in numerous different countries. The researchers believed that the causes needed to be investigated. The findings summarised previous findings published by other researchers, however the team were apprehensive of the results and advised it all to be taken with caution, due to the fact that studies didn’t include exposure to individual ages and organ doses.
Chair in Epidemiology and Public Health Medicine, Professor Memon stated that: “Many patients are exposed to dental X-rays on multiple occasions over many years. Given this high life-time prevalence and frequency of exposure, even a small associated increase would be of considerable public health importance. Our study highlights the concern that dental X-rays are prescribed when the patient has a specific clinical need. It should not be as a standard part of evaluation for new patients, for routine check-up, or for periodic screening for dental caries, decay in children and adolescents. Current UK, European and USA guidelines stress the need for thyroid shielding during dental radiography. The notion that low-dose radiation exposure through dental radiography is completely without risk needs further investigation. Although the individual risk, with modern technology and equipment, is low, the proportion of the population exposed is high. Considering that about one-third of the general population in developed countries is routinely exposed to one or more dental X-rays per year, these findings manifest the need to reduce diagnostic radiation exposure as much as possible.”