Wearing a heavy lead apron is no longer necessary during routine dental X-rays, a professional dental radiology group in the US has concluded.
Since dental X-rays became commonplace some seven decades ago, dentists and hygienists have been draping their patients with protective gear to shield them from the possibility of radiation exposure to body parts other than the jaw. But experts in dental radiology have said it’s time to hang up those lead aprons for good.
The digital radiograph equipment used in dental offices today is light-years away from that of past generations, and the amount of external radiation scatter, as it’s known, from modern X-ray technology poses little to no threat to patients, according to the American Academy of Oral and Maxillofacial Radiology (AAOMR). The organisation has recommended that lead aprons and thyroid shields do not need to be used routinely for dental X-rays.
“There is ample evidence in scientific literature that shows that the apron and thyroid collar do not provide any additional benefit,” said Professor Aruna Ramesh at Tufts University School of Dental Medicine. Professor Ramesh is a co-author on an article outlining the AAOMR’s new recommendations, published in the Journal of the American Dental Association.
The negligible radiation exposure a dental patient receives to areas away from the head comes through “internal scatter”, in which a small amount of the radiation that enters through the head and neck, the area targeted by the X-ray machine, bounces to other parts of the body.
“The internal scatter that exposes the organs below the jaw cannot be prevented with an apron,” Professor Ramesh said.
In fact, it’s possible an apron or collar can interfere with getting a clear shot of the jaw, making it necessary to try a second time, doubling the overall dose.
“Preserving the quality of the images is the best way we have of protecting our patients,” A/Prof Hugo Campos said.
