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<p>Radiation safety revisited<br>Lieutenant Commander James K. Burnham, DC, USN and Commander William J. Lyons, DC, USN<br><br>Introduction<br>Radiographs are an essential component of the patient examination and proper diagnosis and management of dental disease. Although the precise radiation risk in the dental setting is difficult to accurately assess, some risk does exist. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is responsible for providing periodic reports ad-dressing diagnostic radiation exposure and protection guidelines for federal agency and Department of Defense healthcare facilities. In November of 2006, the EPA held the first meeting of an inter-agency working group tasked with revising the current federal guidance. Significant advances in technology have occurred in medical and dental imaging since the original report was issued in 1976. The purpose of this publication is to provide updated in-formation on the most recently proposed recommendations from the National Council on Radiation Protection and Measurements (NCRP), Report Number 145, “Radiation Protection in Dentistry,” which will be included in the future revision of federal guidance. Although the new federal report is not anticipated to be ready for signature by the President until 2008, the recommendations of NCRP Report 145 should be implemented now to ensure optimal safety for our patients and staff.
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<br>Subjects: dentistry; Radiation Protection</div>
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U.S. Navy. Naval Postgraduate Dental School</div>
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