Dental X-Rays Linked To Brain Tumors

A standard session at the dentist often includes a cleaning and diagnostic X-rays. But if you have no discomfort and your teeth are doing fine, you should probably skip the X-rays. They could increase your risk of developing a brain tumor. Children may be especially vulnerable.

A study performed by researchers from Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Yale University School of Medicine, Duke University, University of California San Francisco and Baylor College of Medicine, found a correlation between frequent dental X-rays and the risk of developing meningioma, the most common form of brain tumor in the United States.

People who had a panorex X-ray, a dental X-ray which displays the entire mouth in one view, were found to be at an especially high risk. Children under 10 who had experienced a panorex X-ray were 4.9 times more likely to develop meningioma. Adults with a history of this type of X-ray were 3 times more likely to develop meningioma.

“The findings suggest that dental X-rays obtained in the past at increased frequently and at a young age, may be associated with increased risk of developing this common type of brain tumor,” says Elizabeth Claus, M.D., Ph.D., a neurosurgeon at Brigham and Women’s Health and Yale University School of Medicine. “This research suggests that although dental X-rays are an important tool in maintaining good oral health, efforts to moderate exposure to this form of imaging may be of benefit to some patients.”