Photo: Peter Cade / Stone / Getty Images
Photo Credit: Getty Images
The heavy lead apron dentists drape over you during dental X-rays may soon be a thing of the past. On Thursday, the American Dental Association (ADA) announced that its member dentists can dispense with the aprons, technically called "thyroid collars" because they were used to shield that organ from radiation. "After reviewing nearly 100 articles, guidance documents and regulations related to radiography, the expert panel determined thyroid and abdominal shielding during dental imaging is no longer recommended, and the use of these forms of protective shielding should be discontinued as routine practice," the ADA said. The organization points out that X-ray and other diagnostic technologies have gotten more precise in recent decades, cutting down on the amount of radiation exposure.
Link: https://www.upi.com/Health_News/2024/02/02/dental-x-ray-lead-apron/4451706896911/