The Journal of the American Dental Association published (August, 2023), the recommendations from the American Academy of Oral and Maxillofacial Radiology (AAOMR) regarding patient shielding during dental radiology. The ad hoc committee of the AAOMR reviewed past publications from radiation protection agencies and studies involving radiation dose to gonads, breasts, and thyroid gland from dental imaging. The report noted that dental radiology has negligible dose to the gonads and fetus, and the absence of radiation-induced heritable effects in humans. The AAOMR committee recommended the following:
1. All dentomaxillofacial radiology procedures can discontinue the use of shielding of the gonads, pelvic areas, and fetuses.
2. Thyroid shielding can be discontinued during intraoral, panoramic, cephalometric, cone-beam computed tomographic imaging.
3. State boards and other local authorities need to be updated on these regulations and recommendations.
