As of February 1, the American Dental Association (ADA) no longer recommends using thyroid and abdominal shielding during radiographic exams.
Instead, “Evidence indicates modern digital radiography equipment and restricting the beam size only to the area that needs to be imaged better protect patients against radiation exposure to other parts of their body,” stated the ADA.
This change is supported by the American Academy of Oral and Maxillofacial Radiology and medical physicists with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. Many radiography documents were studied before deciding on the updated recommendations. Lead aprons and thyroid collars can also often block dentists from getting the image they need.
