Xray Shields

The article in the September 2023 ADA Journal “Patient Shielding During Dentomaxillofacial Radiography” is groundbreaking to say the very least. It calls for a response from us to our patients. The research concludes that lead shields during routine x-ray dental examinations are now unnecessary at best, and in some cases even harmful, and it requests that federal, state, and local regulations be revised to remove any requirement for shielding, even for pregnant patients. It is true that in the past, the dental radiation exposure was higher than it is now. Several questions come to mind: What will be the effect of this current research? How will patients respond if shielding is not used? What are the dental schools going to teach? Are the states going to delete the regulations concerning such radiation? Changes clearly will take time and could have a positive side. Some patients hesitate having routine x-rays because of concern about radiation so now dentists can ethically inform them that there is no negative effect to having routine x-rays. It could become a practice builder by making our patients feel and be safer.