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Thyroid Shielding

Overview

The amount of scattered radiation striking the patient’s abdomen during a properly conducted radiographic examination is negligible. The thyroid gland is more susceptible to radiation exposure during dental radiographic exams given its anatomic position, particularly in children. Protective thyroid collars and collimation substantially reduce radiation exposure to the thyroid during dental radiographic procedures. Because every precaution should be taken to minimize radiation exposure, protective thyroid collars should be used whenever possible. If all the recommendations for limiting radiation exposure are put into practice, the gonadal radiation dose will not be significantly affected by the use of abdominal shielding. Therefore, the use of abdominal shielding may not be necessary.

Protective aprons and thyroid shields should be hung or laid flat and never folded, and manufacturer’s instructions should be followed. All protective shields should be evaluated for damage (e.g. tears, folds, and cracks) monthly using visual and manual inspection. Source: ADA-FDA

Resources

American Dental Association (ADA) – U.S. Food and Drug Administration ( FDA)

• Dental Radiographic Examinations: Recommendations For Patient Selection and Limiting Radiation Exposure
• The Selection of Patients for Dental Radiographic Examinations

Fact Sheets & Information

MouthHealthy™

• X-rays

Related Articles

Journal of the American Dental Association (JADA)

• Intraoral Radiographs 

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