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# Dental x-ray boosts thyroid cancer risk
- URL: https://www.foodconsumer.org/dental_x-ray_boosts_thyroid_cancer_risk_1123130500/
- Published: 2013-11-22T22:55:00.000Z
- Updated: 2026-09-22T16:05:43.000Z
- Description: A case-control study of 313 thyroid cancer patients in Acta Oncologica found those exposed to dental x-rays were twice as likely to develop the cancer, an association unaffected by age, sex or education. A separate study reported 13 percent higher risk for every 10 dental x-rays.
- Author: Food Consumer
- Tags: Healthcare, Health News, #vivvo-import

Friday Nov 22, 2013 (foodconsumer.org) -- Exposure to dental x-ray or radiation may increase risk of thyroid cancer, according to a study published in Acta Oncologica.

The current study led by Anjum Memon from Brighton and Sussex Medical School in Falmer, UK and colleagues shows that patients exposed to x-rays were twice as likely as those who were not exposed to x-rays to develop thyroid cancer.

The association was not affected by age, gender, nationality, education or parity.

The thyroid gland is very easy to be damaged by radiation (x-ray) and exposure to high dose ionizing radiation is the only known risk factor for thyroid cancer.

Dental radiation in relative lower doses is often overlooked and dental patients are often not protected to prevent the thyroid gland from being exposed to x-ray when the patient is exposed to x-ray.

Previous reports show dentists, dental assistant and x-ray workers are more likely than others to develop thyroid cancer. It's been already known exposure to x-ray increases risk of meningiomas and salivary tumors.

The case-control study was based on data from 313 patients with thyroid cancer and a similar number of controls who were free of this cancer.

Another study published in the April 2013 issue of American Journal of Epidemiology has found that for every 10 dental x-rays, the risk of thyroid cancer was increased by 13%. But exposure to x-ray employed in other diagnostic tools, which used much higher doses of radiation and were expected to increase the risk, was not associated with increased risk of thyroid cancer in the study. 

Researchers from the National Cancer Institute called for more research on the association between exposure to x-ray and risk of thyroid cancer.

How to reduce the risk of thyroid cancer?

1) Reduce the number of dental visits; Fewer visists mean fewer pictures;

2) Reduce the frequency of exposure to dental x-ray; do not get x-ray for no reason;

3) Use dentists who only use digital x-ray, which use 85 to 90% reduced doses of x-rays, compared with the old x-ray imaging method used by dentists.

4) Make sure to ask your dentist to use a radiation shield to cover the part where thyroid gland is located, not just the chest and stomach.

5) Take high doses of vitamin C before and after dental x-ray. Studies show that taking vitamin C can reduce the damage induced by x-ray or ionizing radiation. (David LIu, PHD)