A recent study has linked frequent dental x-rays, especially if obtained beginning at a young age, to an increased risk of developing meningioma. Meningioma is the most common type of preliminary brain tumor in the United States; making up over thirty percent of brain tumors.

 

Dental scrap metal refining is popular for a reason. Americans are consistently having cavities filled, along with crowns other various types of metal inserted into their mouths during oral procedures and surgeries. The majority of these problems are discovered by dental x-rays.

 

Dr. Elizabeth Claus, a neurosurgeon at Brigham and Women’s Hospital (BWH) in Boston and head researcher of the study, is quick to point out that her findings do not refer to the dental x-rays taken today. Contemporary dental x-rays use much lower levels of radiation; not enough to have any negative impact on one’s likelihood of being diagnosed with a brain tumor.

 

For the study, Claus and her colleagues examined 1,433 patients between the ages of 20 and 70 that were diagnosed with meningioma between May 2006 and April 2011. They compared this data to 1,350 matched controls. The results revealed that participants with meningioma were more likely to have undergone a specific type of dental x-ray called a “bitewing,” which is usually given annually and provides a dentist with a view of crowns of the upper and lower teeth at the same time.

 

Those participants who had the bitewing x-rays at least once a year were almost twice as likely to develop meningioma when compared to the controls. Similarly, the panorex x-ray (one which shows the upper and lower jaws, as well as the teeth in the same film) put patients at an even higher risk for contracting meningioma later in life. The results of this research are preliminary, and further research is being done on the risks of brain cancer from dental x-rays.

 

If you have metal in your mouth, chances are you’ve undergone one of these x-ray procedures. The popularity of scrap metal refining, especially of the dental variety is increasing. By selling your dental scrap to Cash for Dental Scrap you can make a pretty penny off the precious metal in your mouth. And, it’s important to remember, the dental x-rays of today are safer than they have ever been. So, don’t fear, by investigating the problems in your mouth you won’t be putting your brain at risk for its own set of problems.