Radiography Examination Guidelines Updated

Radiography Examination Guidelines Updated

The American Dental Association (ADA) has updated its recommendations for the use of dental radiographic exams. Produced in collaboration with the federal Food and Drug Administration, “Dental Radiographic Examinations: Recommendations for Patient Selection and Limiting Radiation Exposure” should be used in conjunction with dental professionals’ expertise to determine when the exposure of dental radiographs is necessary. The guidelines are designed to help clinicians make informed decisions about using dental X-rays, which are meaningful diagnostic tools, but also expose patients to radiation. The radiation emitted from dental radiographs accumulates over an individual’s lifetime, so the benefits of X-rays need to be weighed against the risks of exposure.

The guidelines provide several new updates. The strength of the recommendation for using thyroid collars to protect against radiation exposure is now the same for all patients (as opposed to the 2004 guidelines, which suggested that this recommendation should be stronger for children, women of childbearing age, and pregnant women). Other highlights include a discussion of new topics, such as receptor selection, handheld X-ray units, radiation risk communication, and an adjustment of shielding guidelines to meet those released by the National Council on Radiation Protection and Measurements.

Dental radiography experts and the ADA’s Council on Scientific Affairs collaborated on the new recommendations, which were subsequently reviewed by a variety of dental and nondental organizations.