Johannesburg - There is a lot more to fear from the dentist as a new report suggests that dental X-ray radiation may increase the risk of benign brain tumours.
The report, written by Deevra Norling, a freelance writer, on behalf of New Element, a local company that provides health-care solutions, exposes the dangers associated with dental visits and what patients can do to protect themselves.
The report states that an academic journal for the American Cancer Society, Cancer, examined the association between dental X-rays and the risk of intracranial meningioma – a benign brain tumour. The study was dismissed by experts as unreliable and inconclusive.
Another study, recently published in the Annals of Oncology, an Oxford medical journal, in February 2013 was conducted by a team of researchers in Taiwan using more substantiated data.
It concluded that the risk of benign tumours was shown to increase as the frequency of dental X-rays increased.
The directorate of radiation control at the Department of Health has guidelines for dentists, which include keeping radiography to a minimum and using digital X-rays.
There is, however, no compulsory regulation to strictly adhere to the principle of ALARA (as low as reasonably achievable), and it remains the prerogative of each dentist to make decisions.
Dr Mehroon Khan, from the SA Dental Association, said radiation for any medical and dental procedure posed some danger and that dental X-ray risks, compared to other forms of scans and images, were the least risky.
The New Element report says radiation risk is higher for children as their developing bodies are five to 10 times more susceptible than adults. Pregnant women are also at high risk as the radiation could affect the foetus.
A new product just launched in South Africa, called Tru-Align, minimises the risk of dental X-rays by up to 75 percent, according to New Element.
Tru-Align is a rectangular attachment that easily fits on the round X-ray cone. Most dental X-ray machines have circular collimation (devices that narrow the beam of waves), which results in high scatter radiation across the face and head area.
According to the report, some South African dentists were not worried about the risks involved and were not willing to invest in gadgets like Tru-Align.
“As medical professionals, dentists are fully aware of the effects of radiation – that’s the reason dental technicians escape around the corner to another room while the X-ray is being taken,” the report states.
STAYING SAFE IN THE DR
What New Element recommends for people to safeguard themselves when dental X-rays are done:
* Make sure your dentist has done a thorough clinical examination first, and takes an X-ray only when necessary.
* If you are not provided with a lead apron and thyroid collar, request one, especially if you think you are pregnant or trying to fall pregnant.
* Never hold the receptor with your hand – this exposes the cells on your hand to radiation as well.
* Check to see if the X-ray unit is fitted with a rectangular collimator, which reduces the dose by 60 percent or more.
* Keep the number of X-rays your child has to a bare minimum. - The Star