I have been thinking about this a lot lately and so I did a search for 'dental x-ray danger' and most articles claimed it was so "small" it was safe and this is the usual argument that they use.
But I found this to counteract their claims:
http://www.minnpost.com/second-opinion/ ... sts-office
Not only do most dentists continue to use outmoded X-ray film requiring higher amounts of radiation, but orthodontists and other specialists are embracing a new scanning device that emits significantly more radiation than conventional methods, an examination by The New York Times has found.
Designed for dental offices, the device, called a cone-beam CT scanner, provides brilliant 3-D images of teeth, roots, jaw and even skull. This technology, its promoters say, is a safe way for orthodontists and oral surgeons to work with more precision and to identify problems that otherwise might go unnoticed.
But there is little independent research to validate these claims. Instead, the cone beam’s popularity has been fueled in part by misinformation about its safety and efficacy, some of it coming from dentists paid or sponsored by manufacturers to give speeches, seminars and continuing education classes, as well as by industry-sponsored magazines and conferences, according to records and dozens of interviews with dentists and researchers.
Last month, The Journal of the American Dental Association allowed one of the leading cone-beam manufacturers, Imaging Sciences International, to underwrite an issue devoted entirely to cone-beam technology. That magazine, which the association sent to 150,000 dentists, included a favorable article by an author who has equated a cone-beam CT with an airport scan. In fact, a cone beam can produce hundreds of times more radiation, experts say.
Here are OSHA (Occupation Safety Health government regulations) for dental offices:
Ionizing Radiation
(29 CFR 1910.1096)
This standard applies to facilities that have an x-ray machine and requires the following:
▪ A survey of the types of radiation used in the facility, including x-rays
▪ Restricted areas to limit employee exposures
▪ Employees working in restricted areas must wear personal radiation monitors such as film badges or pocket dosimeters
▪ Rooms and equipment may need to be labeled and equipped with caution signs
These regulations are very weak indeed.
There are no isolated and shielded rooms (a hospital would have restricted, closed areas for radiation). The dental office is all open and they do the x-rays right in the dental chair.
I don't see anything about random checking to make sure the x-ray machines aren't leaking, or what the levels of radiation in the air are in the office.
No informed consent whatsoever!
But I found this to counteract their claims:
http://www.minnpost.com/second-opinion/ ... sts-office
Not only do most dentists continue to use outmoded X-ray film requiring higher amounts of radiation, but orthodontists and other specialists are embracing a new scanning device that emits significantly more radiation than conventional methods, an examination by The New York Times has found.
Designed for dental offices, the device, called a cone-beam CT scanner, provides brilliant 3-D images of teeth, roots, jaw and even skull. This technology, its promoters say, is a safe way for orthodontists and oral surgeons to work with more precision and to identify problems that otherwise might go unnoticed.
But there is little independent research to validate these claims. Instead, the cone beam’s popularity has been fueled in part by misinformation about its safety and efficacy, some of it coming from dentists paid or sponsored by manufacturers to give speeches, seminars and continuing education classes, as well as by industry-sponsored magazines and conferences, according to records and dozens of interviews with dentists and researchers.
Last month, The Journal of the American Dental Association allowed one of the leading cone-beam manufacturers, Imaging Sciences International, to underwrite an issue devoted entirely to cone-beam technology. That magazine, which the association sent to 150,000 dentists, included a favorable article by an author who has equated a cone-beam CT with an airport scan. In fact, a cone beam can produce hundreds of times more radiation, experts say.
Here are OSHA (Occupation Safety Health government regulations) for dental offices:
Ionizing Radiation
(29 CFR 1910.1096)
This standard applies to facilities that have an x-ray machine and requires the following:
▪ A survey of the types of radiation used in the facility, including x-rays
▪ Restricted areas to limit employee exposures
▪ Employees working in restricted areas must wear personal radiation monitors such as film badges or pocket dosimeters
▪ Rooms and equipment may need to be labeled and equipped with caution signs
These regulations are very weak indeed.
There are no isolated and shielded rooms (a hospital would have restricted, closed areas for radiation). The dental office is all open and they do the x-rays right in the dental chair.
I don't see anything about random checking to make sure the x-ray machines aren't leaking, or what the levels of radiation in the air are in the office.
No informed consent whatsoever!
