Dental X-Rays Accused Of Causing Brain Tumors?...

April 10, 2012 - PRLog -- Owner Of Grove City Dental, Dr. Scott Schumann Addresses Current Issue: Dental X-Rays "Supposedly" Causing Brain Tumors...

In response to the study announcement, the American Dental Association also mentioned the study’s reliance on individuals’ memories.

“Studies have shown that the ability to recall information is often imperfect,” said a written statement from the ADA. “Therefore, the results of studies that use this design can be unreliable …”

The ADA also pointed out that the study included people who received dental x-rays decades ago from older technology that exposed them to more radiation. ”The ADA encourages further research in the interest of patient safety,” said the statement.

The study has many limitations because of the way it was conducted. The data cannot be used to estimate how much any single X-ray increases an individual’s risk. Researchers depended on people’s memory of their dental X-ray history, meaning that people could have over- or under-reported the X-rays they received.

The significance of the results are also difficult to interpret now, because radiation exposure from dental X-rays has decreased over the years.

Dr. Matthew Messina, consumer adviser for the American Dental Association, said that the study is valuable and that minimizing radiation exposure is always a priority, but he worried its conclusions might be given too much weight, despite limited evidence.

He said that in his private practice, when new patients are asked when they last had a dental X-ray, they often think it was much more recent than it turns out to have been, once their previous dentist is contacted. Patients who have had a brain tumor and may be primed to think dental X-rays had something to do with the tumor, may be inclined to overestimate their X-ray history even more, he said.

“While the study is something that obviously we want to take seriously, I think it needs follow-up,’’ Messina said.

“It’s showing an inclination, saying we need to look at this more,’’ including, for example, a more rigorous check of how many dental X-rays were actually taken for a given patient.

Local Grove City Dentist, Dr. Scott Schumann is in agreeance with Dr. Messina and the fact that the study holds multiple limitations. Many of the statements made are "memory-based" opposed to actual fact.

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Dr Scott Schumann’s office in Grove City, 8 minutes south of downtown Columbus, Ohio, is referred to by clients as “fun” and “cool.” Patients love sedation dentistry, catching up on years of dental neglect in 1-2 appointments.