Dental x-rays and cancer

There is an international trend of increasing population exposure to medical diagnostic sources of radiation. In 2006, conventional diagnostic x-rays and fluoroscopy accounted for 74% of medical radiation exposures in the US. This represented only 11% of the cumulative dose of medical radiation exposure due to the fact that the dose per exam is relatively small. Dental x-rays are the most common type of conventional x-ray examination worldwide and account for <1% of the global annual per capita effective radiation dose. There are several types of dental x-rays and they vary in the dose of radiation delivered. Although the radiation exposure with dental x-rays is low, any increased risk associated with dental x-rays would be an important public health concern due to the high prevalence and frequency of these exams. Ionizing radiation is a known risk factor for cancer. This report will review the available evidence on the risk of cancer associated with exposure to dental x-rays.