Answer to Question #1748 Submitted to "Ask the Experts"

There is no difference in sensitivity of any organ or tissue to dental radiation than that from any other source. The major organs at risk from dental radiation are those that are included in the primary x-ray beam—just as for any partial-body radiation. Those known radiosensitive organs which receive most of the dose from dental radiation include thyroid, salivary glands, and red bone marrow (the cervical spine plus a little in the mandible). All occupationally exposed radiation workers whose dose is monitored might be expected to get small doses from their work. In the healing arts, these doses are a small fraction of the occupational dose limit now in effect. In these cases, no action is required—except when a major increase in measured dose occurs or one worker gets much more than others doing the same job. In these cases, the first response is a search for the cause of the sudden excessive exposure. Usually it can be found. Only if the dose is in excess of the prescribed limit is further action required. In very drastic cases a worker could be reassigned to a job with less (or no) exposure to radiation.

S. Julian Gibbs, DDS, PhD