Published jointly Jan. 5 in the January issue of  The Journal of the American Dental Association and online ahead of print in the journal Oral Surgery, Oral Medicine, Oral Pathology and Oral Radiology, these are the ADA’s first recommendations on patient selection for radiographic exams in more than a decade and the first to address both planar dental radiography and cone-beam computed tomography.

The recommendations address specific clinical scenarios for using dental imaging — updating and expanding upon recommendations from 2012. They emphasize the importance of performing a thorough clinical exam prior to taking images to determine whether they are necessary to support diagnosis, treatment planning and clinical management based on each individual patient’s needs.

“Dental imaging is an important diagnostic tool that can help improve oral and overall health outcomes when used appropriately,” said Erika Benavides, D.D.S., Ph.D., lead author and clinical professor in the Department of Periodontics and Oral Medicine at the University of Michigan School of Dentistry. “You wouldn’t get an X-ray of another part of your body unless the doctor believed there was reason to order one after an examination. Similarly, dental X-rays should be ordered only after first examining the patient’s medical and dental histories, prior X-ray images and current clinical exam findings.”

The recommendations, which were developed by an expert panel established by the ADA Council on Scientific Affairs, are endorsed by the American Academy of Oral and Maxillofacial Radiology.

“These updated clinical recommendations honor what we have used and learned and chart a clear path forward for patient care and effective use of radiation in dentistry,” said co-author Trishul Allareddy, B.D.S., professor at the University of North Carolina Adams School of Dentistry and immediate past president of the American Academy of Oral and Maxillofacial Radiology.

Read the full ADA Article here.

Read the Article on ADA.org