Dental X-Rays May Be Linked with Brain Tumors

Researchers say frequent dental X-rays may increase the risk of the most commonly diagnosed brain tumor in adults in the U.S.



Meningiomas are generally benign, non-cancerous tumors that develop from the membranes that surround the brain and spinal cord. Most such tumors are triggered by exposure to ionizing radiation, such as that from X-rays (and in a small set of cases, from atomic bomb blasts), and many develop after prolonged or high-level exposure. But researchers led by Dr. Elizabeth Claus of the department of epidemiology and public health at Yale University found that low-level exposure to radiation from dental X-rays was also associated with an increased risk of the tumors.         Read More