Radiographic selection protocol for new and recall patients in U.S. and Canadian dental schools

This study indicates that a growing number of dental schools are now using individual selection criteria to determine which radiographs, if any, are required for screening new and recall patients. A majority of Canadian schools are in compliance with CDA's Guidelines For the Control Of Radiation In the Dental Office, which state that the frequency of radiological examination is a matter of clinical judgment, and that it should not be considered as a routine procedure. In general, most schools support the use of individual selection criteria prior to requesting radiographs. The results of this study also indicate that more U.S. dental schools now follow the U.S. Food and Drug Administration's (FDA) recommendations on radiation exposure than at any other time in history. However, both the FDA recommendations and the American Association of Dental Schools' guidelines for prescribing radiographs are only recommendations, which are subject to clinical judgment, and may not be applied universally to all patients.