WebMD Medical News Louise Chang, MD April 10, 2012 -- Getting
frequent dental X-rays appears to increase the risk for a
commonly diagnosed brain tumor, a new study finds. Exposure to
ionizing radiation -- the kind found in X-rays -- is the biggest
known environmental risk factor for largely non-malignant
meningioma brain tumors. Routine dental X-rays are among the
most common sources of radiation for most healthy people in the
U.S. The new study suggests that performing frequent X-rays may
expose patients to unnecessary risk. "These findings should not
prevent anyone from going to the dentist," says lead researcher
and neurosurgeon Elizabeth B. Claus, MD, PhD, of Yale University
School of Medicine and Boston's Brigham and Women's Hospital.
"But it appears that a large percentage of patients receive
annual X-rays instead of every two to three years, which is the
recommendation for healthy adults." While the vast majority of
meningiomas are non-malignant, they often grow to be very large
and can cause a wide ra