CHICAGO,
Dec. 5, 2012 – In an effort to decrease radiation exposure to patients,
the American Dental Association’s
(ADA) Council on Scientific Affairs collaborated with the U.S. Food and
Drug Administration to update the ADA’s recommendations for dental
X-ray examinations. The recommendations were released recently.
The ADA’s “Dental
Radiograph Examinations: Recommendations for Patient Selection and Limiting Radiation Exposure”
are intended to be used in conjunction with dentists’ professional
judgment to determine whether and when dental X-rays are needed. Dental
X-rays help dentists
evaluate and diagnose oral diseases and conditions, but the ADA
recommends that dentists weigh the benefits of taking dental X-rays
against the possible risk of exposing patients to the radiation from
X-rays, the effects of which can accumulate from multiple
sources over time.
“As
doctors of oral health, dentists are in the best position to make
decisions on whether to prescribe dental
X-rays after an oral examination and with consideration of the
patient’s health history. Prescribing dental X-rays should be an
individualized process,” said ADA President Robert A. Faiella, D.M.D.,
M.M.Sc. Since 1989, the ADA has recommended the ALARA principle
in relation to dental X-rays—that radiation exposure to patients is “as
low as reasonably achievable.”
Changes to the recommendations include:
- Updates to patient shielding recommendations
- Addition of a new section on limiting radiation exposure during radiographic examinations
- Including new topics such as receptor selection, handheld X-ray units, technique charts and radiation risk communication
The
ADA’s Council on Scientific Affairs (CSA) consulted with dental
radiology experts about a year ago
to update the recommendations. The CSA then sent the recommendations
for peer review and for review by non-dental organizations such as the
Conference of Radiation Control Program Directors and the American
Association of Physicists in Medicine. The recommendations
are intended to serve as a resource for dentists and are not intended
to be standards of care, requirements or regulations.
<http://www.ada.org/sections/professionalResources/pdfs/Dental_Radiographic_Examinations_2012.pdf>
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