Affiliations: [a] Postgraduate Medical Institute, Lahore, Pakistan | [b] Avicenna Medical and Dental College, Lahore, Pakistan | [c] Azra Naheed Dental College, Superior University, Lahore, Pakistan | [d] Department of Prosthetic Dentistry, College of Dentistry, King Khalid University, Abha, Saudi Arabia | [e] Department of Dental Research Cell, Dr. D.Y. Patil Dental College and Hospital, Dr. D.Y. Patil Vidyapeeth, Pune, India | [f] Department of Oral Pathology and Microbiology, Mansarovar Dental College, Bhopal, India | [g] Department of Biomedical and Surgical and Biomedical Sciences, Catania University, Catania, Italy | [h] Saveetha Dental College and Hospitals, Saveetha Institute of Medical and Technical Sciences (SIMATS), Saveetha University, Chennai, India | [i] Multidisciplinary Department of Medical-Surgical and Odontostomatological Specialties, University of Campania “Luigi Vanvitelli”, Naples, Italy
Correspondence:
[*]
Corresponding author: Syeda Aqsa Batool, Postgraduate Medical Institute, Lahore, Pakistan. E-mail: dr_aqsabatool@hotmail.com.
Abstract: BACKGROUND: The radiation released at the time of dental panoramic radiographs causes genotoxic and cytotoxic effects on epithelial cells. OBJECTIVE: This research aimed to evaluate the changes in the frequencies of micronucleated cells in patients’ buccal epithelial cells following dental panoramic radiography. METHODS: 74 patients were recruited for the study who were advised for panoramic radiographs. Using a wooden spatula, the buccal epithelial cells were scraped from both cheeks before to panoramic radiation exposure and ten days after the panoramic radiation exposure. Giemsa stain was used to stain the cells, and 500 cells were scored on a slide to determine the frequency of micronuclei. To determine the difference between the frequency of micronuclei before and after radiation exposure, a paired t-test was used in the statistical analysis. RESULTS: The proportion of micronuclei cells was 0.11% before radiation exposure and 0.57% following radiation exposure after 10 days. A statistically significant increase in the frequencies of micronuclei was noted after radiation exposure values. CONCLUSION: This study revealed the genotoxicity of epithelial cells with dental panoramic radiation exposure. It is advised to reduce the use of such radiographs and to use only when there is no other diagnostic tool that is helpful or when absolutely essential.
