154 - Parental Acceptance of Dental Radiographs without Lead Shielding

Purpose:
To evaluate perception of parental/legal guardians of the new ADA recommendation for the discontinuation of shielding during dental radiographic imaging.

Methods:

Parents/legal guardians from Tufts University School of Dental Medicine Department of Pediatrics were recruited for this survey study. The survey consisted of 25 questions and was completed using Qualtrics. The parent/legal guardian completed questions (#1-17). Then they stopped to read the educational brochure which provided background information about dental radiographs and supporting information for the new ADA recommendation for the discontinuation of shielding. The questions assessed parental attitude, behavior, and knowledge before and after reading the educational brochure. Subsequently, they completed the remaining questions (#18-25). The three areas that were investigated in this survey about shielding and dental radiographic imaging included attitude, behavior, and knowledge. The Wilcoxon-signed rank test and the Kruskal-Wallis test were used for the analysis.

Results:

Seventy-four parents/legal guardians completed the survey. There was a statistically significant difference in perception to the new recommendation after reading the educational brochure. Responses to the majority (6/7) of questions had a statistically significant difference in perception with a positive and accepting stance of the new recommendation (P < .05) after reading the educational brochure. There was no association between educational level and parental perception of shielding after reading the educational brochure (P>.05).

Conclusion:

After reading the educational brochure there was a statistically significant difference in perception with a positive and accepting stance of parental/legal guardians for the discontinuation of shielding during dental radiographic imaging.

Identify Supporting Agency and Grant Number: