Dental X-rays Linked to Twofold Increase in Brain Cancer
Mike Barrett
NaturalSociety
April 10, 2012
How often does your dentist insist on giving you a dental X-ray just to make sure all is well? While a dental x-ray may be justifiable if there is some serious risk, research is pointing out that too many of these X-rays may result in a twofold risk increase in a brain cancer known as meningioma.
Dental X-Rays Could Increase Brain Cancer Risk
For the research, Elizabeth B. Claus, MD, PhD, of Yale University, and colleagues examined the records of 1,433 patients who were diagnosed with meningioma between May 2006 and April 2011. The researchers made a control group matched for sex, age, and geography. Researchers found that bitewing X-rays (showing upper and lower back teeth) performed less than once per year was associated with patients being 1.1 to 1.6 times more likely to experience meningioma across age groups. They also found that annual or more frequent panorex dental X-ray (an X-ray showing all teeth and surrounding bones) exposure increased odds by 2.7 to 3.0 in 3 of the oldest age groups, while x-rays performed “before age 10 was associated with a meningioma odds ratio of 4.9.”
“The findings presented here are important, because dental x-rays remain the most common artificial source of exposure to ionizing radiation for individuals living in the U.S. The primary environmental (and generally modifiable) risk factor consistently identified for meningioma is exposure to ionizing radiation,” Claus and co-authors wrote.
While there are many studies examining the effects of ionizing radiation in high doses, less than 200 are available which focus on low-dose ionizing radiation. What’s more, many of the produced studies honing in on dental X-rays were performed during a time when the X-rays were at higher doses. The recent research draws the association between dental X-rays and increased meningioma risk using up-to-date dental procedures. Sometimes the X-rays are performed routinely, while other times it may be done to keep watch on cavity-prone teeth. The cavity-driven lends an even greater reason to learn how to prevent cavities naturally, ultimately preventing any exposure to routine X-rays or other dental procedures.
In any situation, radiation-inducing procedures should be avoided unless absolutely necessary. It seems that the medical establishment is administering these procedures at alarming rates in many areas, as exemplified with many cancers such as breast cancer in regards to excessive breast cancer screening. Don’t be afraid to say “no” to your doctor or dentist when they push any safety measure or treatment on you which involves radiation.
Explore More:
- Mobile Phones Cause ‘Five-Fold Increase in Brain Cancer Risk’
- Do Cellphones Cause Brain Cancer?
- Government Ignored 1998 Report Finding up to 100 Cancer Deaths from TSA Naked Body Scanners Per Year
- Dental Mercury | A Major Source of Environmental Pollution
- Red Meat Found to ‘Increase Risk of Bowel Cancer’
- Antidepressants Increase Breast Cancer Risk
Radiation is dangerous, period. I have argued with dentists for 40 years about unnecessary xrays, after working with a woman whose brother was a brain cancer researcher. He told her then that dental xrays were being implicated in brain cancers and not to allow dentists to give them to her often – only when absolutely necessary. I have practiced that ever since and had a lot of flack from dentists as a result. Particularly the dental assistants get riled up, they can’t conceive of a patient saying no. It is all about the money – they make extra bucks giving xrays. The medical doctors are too free also with it. I always ask now for digital xrays, and refuse any other kind. Digital xrays provide less radiation, according to my dentist (hmmmmm….). Any comments on that? And BTW, check out electrosmogprevention.org’s site – learn about dangerous RF radiation emitted by your utility’s new smart meters – and what to do about it.
Yeah, and don’t forget the Insurance companies who may request one for proof that work was done. The health system in the USA is a joke. Ran by the old and mighty dollar. Pharma, Insurance & Hospitals.
There is no “health system”. There is a medical industry, which has nothing to do with health. The joke is the term “health system” itself and its spinoff lies, e.g., “health care”, “health insurance’, etc.
i read some old studies about the dangers of dental x-rays and after fukushima happened a national academy of sciences report was brought up that stated ‘the committee concludes that the preponderance of information indicates that there will be some risk, even at low doses’ regarding ionizing radiation. karl morgan, physicist who worked on the manhattan project, also came out against nuclear power and proclaimed there is no safe level of exposure. when i told my orthodontist that i did not want any more x-rays, i was sure they were worried about root resorption, i was looked at as if crazy. they tried to explain the safety to me, but i wasn’t buying it. this just confirms everything for me. i never went back to that ortho.