Taken from an email that was recently forwarded to me by one of my class members:

“On Wednesday, Dr. Oz had a show on the fastest growing cancer in women: thyroid cancer.  It was a very interesting program and he mentioned that the increase could possibly be related to the use of dental x-rays and mammograms. 

He demonstrated that on the apron the dentist puts on you for your dental x-rays there is a little flap that can be lifted up and wrapped around your neck.  Many dentists don’t bother to use it.  Also, there is something called a “thyroid guard” for use during mammograms.  By coincidence, I had my yearly mammogram yesterday. I felt a little silly, but I asked about the guard and sure enough, the technician had one in a drawer. I asked why it wasn’t routinely used. Answer: ‘I don’t know.  You have to ask for it.’ Well, if I hadn’t seen the show, how would I have known to ask?”

Thanks to everyone who is shining the light on this topic so that we can all be more proactive in our healthcare. (Special thanks to Shirley Nye for passing this info on to me.) My dental hygienist uses digital x-ray which exposes me to 80-90% less radiation. She also covers my throat during the x-ray process. I feel fortunate to have such a conscientious caregiver in my life.