The American Dental Hygienists' Association (ADHA) announced its support and involvement as a member of the Alliance for Radiation Safety in Pediatric Imaging, the Image Gently Alliance.
The Image Gently Alliance also announced it is expanding its scope to the oral healthcare community with its next campaign, Image Gently in Dentistry. As a member of this alliance, the ADHA is pleased to promote the importance of proper radiation dosage to children to the more than 185,000 licensed dental hygienists in the U.S.
"It's critical for both dental hygienists -- the oral health professionals responsible for creating and executing plans of prevention and care -- and dental practitioners to discuss with parents the importance of x-rays and proper dosing of radiation at the lowest possible level," stated ADHA President Kelli Swanson Jaecks, MA, RDH, in a press release.
Marilyn Goske, MD, co-chair of the Alliance for Radiation Safety in Pediatric Imaging, also stated that she hoped all dental professionals would use the information on the Image Gently website to educate themselves and their patients.
"We are incredibly pleased that the major dental societies have opted to take part in Image Gently and take steps to ensure that the care they provide is as safe as possible," Dr. Goske stated. "We encourage all dental professionals to take advantage of the materials on the Image Gently website and factor them into their clinical decision-making."
Image Gently alliance members in dentistry include the American Dental Association, American Academy of Oral and Maxillofacial Radiology, American Association of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons, American Association of Endodontists, American Academy of Oral and Maxillofacial Pathology, American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry, American Academy of Periodontology, American Dental Education Association, American Dental Hygienists' Association, Canadian Association of Oral and Maxillofacial Radiology, and the European Academy of DentoMaxilloFacial Radiology.
For more information, visit the Image Gently website.
