> ## Content Index > Fetch the complete content index at: https://www.foodconsumer.org/llms.txt > Use this file to discover other available public pages before exploring further. # Dental X-rays may up brain tumor risk - URL: https://www.foodconsumer.org/dental_x-rays_may_up_brain_tumor_risk_0410120730/ - Published: 2012-04-10T20:29:00.000Z - Updated: 2026-09-22T16:04:48.000Z - Description: Comparing 1,433 meningioma patients with 1,350 similar controls, researchers found people who had annual dental x-rays were twice as likely to be diagnosed with the usually non-malignant tumor. Elizabeth Claus says moderating exposure to the imaging may benefit some patients. - Author: Food Consumer - Tags: Healthcare, Health News, Radiation, Brain Tumor, X-rays, #vivvo-import By David Liu, PHD Tuesday April 10, 2012 (foodconsumer.org) -- Receiving annual dental x-rays may increase the risk of developing a non-malignant yet very common brain tumor called meningioma, according to a new study published in the April 10, 2012 issue of Cancer. The study led by Elizabeth Claus, MD, PhD, a neurosurgeon at Brigham and Women's Hospital (BWH) and Yale University School of Medicine at New Haven, CT and colleagues found that men and particularly women who used annual dental x-rays regularly were twice as likely to be diagnosed with meningioma. Meningioma is the most common primary brain tumor in the United States, accounting for about 33 percent of all primary brain tumors, according to Brigham and Women's Hospital. It is not news that exposure to ionizing radiation such as dental x-ray is an environmental risk factor for meningioma. Numerous previous studies have associated exposure to ionizing radiation like medical x-ray and dental x-ray with elevated risk for brain tumors. So this study did not result in the findings by chance. "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," said Claus. "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." For the study, Claus et al. analysed data from 1,433 patients diagnosed with meningioma aged 20 to 79 years of age from May 2006 through April 2011 and compared the group to a control group of 1350 participants with similar characteristics to see if there is an association between exposure to dental x-ray and elevated risk for meningioma. The researchers found patients with meningioma were twice as likely to report having a type of dental x-ray called a bitewing exam, and that those who reported having the exam annually or more frequently were 1.4 to 1.9 times as likely to be diagnosed with a meningioma, compared to the control group. The bitewing exam is intended to find dental problems so dentists may have an opportunity to treat the dental problems. Most dentists require annual dental x-ray for all patients no matter they have any dental problems or not. When you go to a dentist, the first thing he wants to do is a full scan of your teeth. The researchers also found those who had a panorex x-ray exam were even more likely to be diagnosed with meningioma. Among those who received the exam under the age of 10 years, the risk was increased by 390%, compared to those who did not receive the exam. And those who reported having the exam annually or more frequently than once a year were almost 3 times as likely to develop meningioma, compared to the control group. Panorex is a full scan of all your teeth while the bitewing exam results in a radiogram to show the biting surfaces of the top and bottom teeth on one film so that cavities can be detected in between the teeth. "It is important to note that the dental x-rays performed today use a much lower dose of radiation than in the past," said Claus. She really meant that the risk from dental x-ray used today is much less riskier than the dental x-ray used decades ago. Brain tumors like meningioma take one decade or longer to develop into something clinically significant. In response to the study, the American Dental Association said in a statement that dentists need to evaluate the risks and benefits associated with dental x-rays and there is no evidence to justify the use of dental radiographs in healthy patients at preset intervals. Late nuclear physicist and medical physician Dr. John Gofman said in areas where there was a high physician density, the cancer risk was also higher, meaning that more physicians got patients more exposure to ionizing radiation, which in turn increased the risk of cancer. He said 75% of breast cancer had something to do with x-ray exposure, particularly when the dose was high and exposure occurred at an early age. If you are concerned, use a dentist who uses digital dental x-rays, which when used properly only uses 10% of the dose for the convention dental x-ray. That means your risk can be 10 times lower if you use digital x-ray. Still, Dr. Gofman said there is no zero risk threshold. Any dose of x-ray causes harm. It has been relatively well known that ionizing radiation like medical x-ray used for diagnostics and cancer treatments and dental x-ray can increase risk of cancer. Relatively less known is the fact that ionizing radiation also damages your vessels, increasing your vascular risk like heart disease and stroke. To be fair, the dose of dental x-rays is relatively smaller, compared to what is used in diagnostic tools like CT scan and particularly in the conventional radiation therapy, which can kill a patient. Just remember that exposure to any dose of x-ray has side effects, that is, increasing risk of cancers or tumors and blood vessel damage among other things. Radiologists and dentists can't tell you these side effects! The only answer you can get from them is "the dose is tiny or the risk is negligible." Those who have to use radiation, make sure to get health insurance or life insurance ready.