Journal of Clinical and Diagnostic Research, ISSN - 0973 - 709X

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On Sep 2018




Prof. Somashekhar Nimbalkar

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Prof. Somashekhar Nimbalkar
Head, Department of Pediatrics, Pramukhswami Medical College, Karamsad
Chairman, Research Group, Charutar Arogya Mandal, Karamsad
National Joint Coordinator - Advanced IAP NNF NRP Program
Ex-Member, Governing Body, National Neonatology Forum, New Delhi
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Department of Pediatrics, Pramukhswami Medical College, Karamsad, Anand, Gujarat.
On Sep 2018




Dr. Kalyani R

"Journal of Clinical and Diagnostic Research is at present a well-known Indian originated scientific journal which started with a humble beginning. I have been associated with this journal since many years. I appreciate the Editor, Dr. Hemant Jain, for his constant effort in bringing up this journal to the present status right from the scratch. The journal is multidisciplinary. It encourages in publishing the scientific articles from postgraduates and also the beginners who start their career. At the same time the journal also caters for the high quality articles from specialty and super-specialty researchers. Hence it provides a platform for the scientist and researchers to publish. The other aspect of it is, the readers get the information regarding the most recent developments in science which can be used for teaching, research, treating patients and to some extent take preventive measures against certain diseases. The journal is contributing immensely to the society at national and international level."



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Sri Devaraj Urs Medical College
Sri Devaraj Urs Academy of Higher Education and Research , Kolar, Karnataka
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Dr. Saumya Navit

"As a peer-reviewed journal, the Journal of Clinical and Diagnostic Research provides an opportunity to researchers, scientists and budding professionals to explore the developments in the field of medicine and dentistry and their varied specialities, thus extending our view on biological diversities of living species in relation to medicine.
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Dr Saumya Navit
Professor and Head
Department of Pediatric Dentistry
Saraswati Dental College
Lucknow
On Sep 2018




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Dr. Arunava Biswas
MD, DM (Clinical Pharmacology)
Assistant Professor
Department of Pharmacology
Calcutta National Medical College & Hospital , Kolkata




Dr. C.S. Ramesh Babu
" Journal of Clinical and Diagnostic Research (JCDR) is a multi-specialty medical and dental journal publishing high quality research articles in almost all branches of medicine. The quality of printing of figures and tables is excellent and comparable to any International journal. An added advantage is nominal publication charges and monthly issue of the journal and more chances of an article being accepted for publication. Moreover being a multi-specialty journal an article concerning a particular specialty has a wider reach of readers of other related specialties also. As an author and reviewer for several years I find this Journal most suitable and highly recommend this Journal."
Best regards,
C.S. Ramesh Babu,
Associate Professor of Anatomy,
Muzaffarnagar Medical College,
Muzaffarnagar.
On Aug 2018




Dr. Arundhathi. S
"Journal of Clinical and Diagnostic Research (JCDR) is a reputed peer reviewed journal and is constantly involved in publishing high quality research articles related to medicine. Its been a great pleasure to be associated with this esteemed journal as a reviewer and as an author for a couple of years. The editorial board consists of many dedicated and reputed experts as its members and they are doing an appreciable work in guiding budding researchers. JCDR is doing a commendable job in scientific research by promoting excellent quality research & review articles and case reports & series. The reviewers provide appropriate suggestions that improve the quality of articles. I strongly recommend my fraternity to encourage JCDR by contributing their valuable research work in this widely accepted, user friendly journal. I hope my collaboration with JCDR will continue for a long time".



Dr. Arundhathi. S
MBBS, MD (Pathology),
Sanjay Gandhi institute of trauma and orthopedics,
Bengaluru.
On Aug 2018




Dr. Mamta Gupta,
"It gives me great pleasure to be associated with JCDR, since last 2-3 years. Since then I have authored, co-authored and reviewed about 25 articles in JCDR. I thank JCDR for giving me an opportunity to improve my own skills as an author and a reviewer.
It 's a multispecialty journal, publishing high quality articles. It gives a platform to the authors to publish their research work which can be available for everyone across the globe to read. The best thing about JCDR is that the full articles of all medical specialties are available as pdf/html for reading free of cost or without institutional subscription, which is not there for other journals. For those who have problem in writing manuscript or do statistical work, JCDR comes for their rescue.
The journal has a monthly publication and the articles are published quite fast. In time compared to other journals. The on-line first publication is also a great advantage and facility to review one's own articles before going to print. The response to any query and permission if required, is quite fast; this is quite commendable. I have a very good experience about seeking quick permission for quoting a photograph (Fig.) from a JCDR article for my chapter authored in an E book. I never thought it would be so easy. No hassles.
Reviewing articles is no less a pain staking process and requires in depth perception, knowledge about the topic for review. It requires time and concentration, yet I enjoy doing it. The JCDR website especially for the reviewers is quite user friendly. My suggestions for improving the journal is, more strict review process, so that only high quality articles are published. I find a a good number of articles in Obst. Gynae, hence, a new journal for this specialty titled JCDR-OG can be started. May be a bimonthly or quarterly publication to begin with. Only selected articles should find a place in it.
An yearly reward for the best article authored can also incentivize the authors. Though the process of finding the best article will be not be very easy. I do not know how reviewing process can be improved. If an article is being reviewed by two reviewers, then opinion of one can be communicated to the other or the final opinion of the editor can be communicated to the reviewer if requested for. This will help one’s reviewing skills.
My best wishes to Dr. Hemant Jain and all the editorial staff of JCDR for their untiring efforts to bring out this journal. I strongly recommend medical fraternity to publish their valuable research work in this esteemed journal, JCDR".



Dr. Mamta Gupta
Consultant
(Ex HOD Obs &Gynae, Hindu Rao Hospital and associated NDMC Medical College, Delhi)
Aug 2018




Dr. Rajendra Kumar Ghritlaharey

"I wish to thank Dr. Hemant Jain, Editor-in-Chief Journal of Clinical and Diagnostic Research (JCDR), for asking me to write up few words.
Writing is the representation of language in a textual medium i e; into the words and sentences on paper. Quality medical manuscript writing in particular, demands not only a high-quality research, but also requires accurate and concise communication of findings and conclusions, with adherence to particular journal guidelines. In medical field whether working in teaching, private, or in corporate institution, everyone wants to excel in his / her own field and get recognised by making manuscripts publication.


Authors are the souls of any journal, and deserve much respect. To publish a journal manuscripts are needed from authors. Authors have a great responsibility for producing facts of their work in terms of number and results truthfully and an individual honesty is expected from authors in this regards. Both ways its true "No authors-No manuscripts-No journals" and "No journals–No manuscripts–No authors". Reviewing a manuscript is also a very responsible and important task of any peer-reviewed journal and to be taken seriously. It needs knowledge on the subject, sincerity, honesty and determination. Although the process of reviewing a manuscript is a time consuming task butit is expected to give one's best remarks within the time frame of the journal.
Salient features of the JCDR: It is a biomedical, multidisciplinary (including all medical and dental specialities), e-journal, with wide scope and extensive author support. At the same time, a free text of manuscript is available in HTML and PDF format. There is fast growing authorship and readership with JCDR as this can be judged by the number of articles published in it i e; in Feb 2007 of its first issue, it contained 5 articles only, and now in its recent volume published in April 2011, it contained 67 manuscripts. This e-journal is fulfilling the commitments and objectives sincerely, (as stated by Editor-in-chief in his preface to first edition) i e; to encourage physicians through the internet, especially from the developing countries who witness a spectrum of disease and acquire a wealth of knowledge to publish their experiences to benefit the medical community in patients care. I also feel that many of us have work of substance, newer ideas, adequate clinical materials but poor in medical writing and hesitation to submit the work and need help. JCDR provides authors help in this regards.
Timely publication of journal: Publication of manuscripts and bringing out the issue in time is one of the positive aspects of JCDR and is possible with strong support team in terms of peer reviewers, proof reading, language check, computer operators, etc. This is one of the great reasons for authors to submit their work with JCDR. Another best part of JCDR is "Online first Publications" facilities available for the authors. This facility not only provides the prompt publications of the manuscripts but at the same time also early availability of the manuscripts for the readers.
Indexation and online availability: Indexation transforms the journal in some sense from its local ownership to the worldwide professional community and to the public.JCDR is indexed with Embase & EMbiology, Google Scholar, Index Copernicus, Chemical Abstracts Service, Journal seek Database, Indian Science Abstracts, to name few of them. Manuscriptspublished in JCDR are available on major search engines ie; google, yahoo, msn.
In the era of fast growing newer technologies, and in computer and internet friendly environment the manuscripts preparation, submission, review, revision, etc and all can be done and checked with a click from all corer of the world, at any time. Of course there is always a scope for improvement in every field and none is perfect. To progress, one needs to identify the areas of one's weakness and to strengthen them.
It is well said that "happy beginning is half done" and it fits perfectly with JCDR. It has grown considerably and I feel it has already grown up from its infancy to adolescence, achieving the status of standard online e-journal form Indian continent since its inception in Feb 2007. This had been made possible due to the efforts and the hard work put in it. The way the JCDR is improving with every new volume, with good quality original manuscripts, makes it a quality journal for readers. I must thank and congratulate Dr Hemant Jain, Editor-in-Chief JCDR and his team for their sincere efforts, dedication, and determination for making JCDR a fast growing journal.
Every one of us: authors, reviewers, editors, and publisher are responsible for enhancing the stature of the journal. I wish for a great success for JCDR."



Thanking you
With sincere regards
Dr. Rajendra Kumar Ghritlaharey, M.S., M. Ch., FAIS
Associate Professor,
Department of Paediatric Surgery, Gandhi Medical College & Associated
Kamla Nehru & Hamidia Hospitals Bhopal, Madhya Pradesh 462 001 (India)
E-mail: drrajendrak1@rediffmail.com
On May 11,2011




Dr. Shankar P.R.

"On looking back through my Gmail archives after being requested by the journal to write a short editorial about my experiences of publishing with the Journal of Clinical and Diagnostic Research (JCDR), I came across an e-mail from Dr. Hemant Jain, Editor, in March 2007, which introduced the new electronic journal. The main features of the journal which were outlined in the e-mail were extensive author support, cash rewards, the peer review process, and other salient features of the journal.
Over a span of over four years, we (I and my colleagues) have published around 25 articles in the journal. In this editorial, I plan to briefly discuss my experiences of publishing with JCDR and the strengths of the journal and to finally address the areas for improvement.
My experiences of publishing with JCDR: Overall, my experiences of publishing withJCDR have been positive. The best point about the journal is that it responds to queries from the author. This may seem to be simple and not too much to ask for, but unfortunately, many journals in the subcontinent and from many developing countries do not respond or they respond with a long delay to the queries from the authors 1. The reasons could be many, including lack of optimal secretarial and other support. Another problem with many journals is the slowness of the review process. Editorial processing and peer review can take anywhere between a year to two years with some journals. Also, some journals do not keep the contributors informed about the progress of the review process. Due to the long review process, the articles can lose their relevance and topicality. A major benefit with JCDR is the timeliness and promptness of its response. In Dr Jain's e-mail which was sent to me in 2007, before the introduction of the Pre-publishing system, he had stated that he had received my submission and that he would get back to me within seven days and he did!
Most of the manuscripts are published within 3 to 4 months of their submission if they are found to be suitable after the review process. JCDR is published bimonthly and the accepted articles were usually published in the next issue. Recently, due to the increased volume of the submissions, the review process has become slower and it ?? Section can take from 4 to 6 months for the articles to be reviewed. The journal has an extensive author support system and it has recently introduced a paid expedited review process. The journal also mentions the average time for processing the manuscript under different submission systems - regular submission and expedited review.
Strengths of the journal: The journal has an online first facility in which the accepted manuscripts may be published on the website before being included in a regular issue of the journal. This cuts down the time between their acceptance and the publication. The journal is indexed in many databases, though not in PubMed. The editorial board should now take steps to index the journal in PubMed. The journal has a system of notifying readers through e-mail when a new issue is released. Also, the articles are available in both the HTML and the PDF formats. I especially like the new and colorful page format of the journal. Also, the access statistics of the articles are available. The prepublication and the manuscript tracking system are also helpful for the authors.
Areas for improvement: In certain cases, I felt that the peer review process of the manuscripts was not up to international standards and that it should be strengthened. Also, the number of manuscripts in an issue is high and it may be difficult for readers to go through all of them. The journal can consider tightening of the peer review process and increasing the quality standards for the acceptance of the manuscripts. I faced occasional problems with the online manuscript submission (Pre-publishing) system, which have to be addressed.
Overall, the publishing process with JCDR has been smooth, quick and relatively hassle free and I can recommend other authors to consider the journal as an outlet for their work."



Dr. P. Ravi Shankar
KIST Medical College, P.O. Box 14142, Kathmandu, Nepal.
E-mail: ravi.dr.shankar@gmail.com
On April 2011
Anuradha

Dear team JCDR, I would like to thank you for the very professional and polite service provided by everyone at JCDR. While i have been in the field of writing and editing for sometime, this has been my first attempt in publishing a scientific paper.Thank you for hand-holding me through the process.


Dr. Anuradha
E-mail: anuradha2nittur@gmail.com
On Jan 2020

Important Notice

Original article / research
Year : 2022 | Month : November | Volume : 16 | Issue : 11 | Page : ZC32 - ZC35 Full Version

Assessment of Knowledge and Attitude of Pregnant Women towards Dental Diagnostic Radiation Hazards: A Cross-sectional Study


Published: November 1, 2022 | DOI: https://doi.org/10.7860/JCDR/2022/57166.17152
T Sivasankari, Jagat Reddy, Kaviya, Ezhumalai

1. Reader, Department Oral Medicine and Radiology, Indira Gandhi Institute of Dental Sciences, Sri Balaji Vidyapeeth (Deemed to be University), Puducherry, India. 2. Professor and Head, Department Oral Medicine and Radiology, Indira Gandhi Institute of Dental Sciences, Sri Balaji Vidyapeeth (Deemed to be University), Puducherry, India. 3. Intern, Indira Gandhi Institute of Dental Sciences, Sri Balaji Vidyapeeth (Deemed to be University), Puducherry, India. 4. Senior Statistician and Research Consultant, Deanery Research, Sri Balaji Vidyapeeth (Deemed to be University), Puducherry, India.

Correspondence Address :
Dr. T Sivasankari,
Reader, Department Oral Medicine and Radiology, Indira Gandhi Institute of Dental Sciences, Sri Balji Vidyapeeth (Deemed to be University), Pillayarkuppam-607402, Puducherry, India.
E-mail: sankarisenthil10@yahoo.com

Abstract

Introduction: Pregnancy is associated with reduced immunity and greater susceptibility to infection than any other population. According to the International Commission on Radiological Protection (ICRP), thousands of pregnant women are exposed to diagnostic medical ionising radiation each year. The effects of radiation exposure can be classified as deterministic or stochastic. The deterministic effects occur principally above a threshold dose, reflecting cell death. The stochastic effect occurs sometimes after exposure and is mainly represented by radiation-induced cancer.

Aim: To evaluate the knowledge and attitude towards dental radiation hazards among pregnant women visiting a tertiary healthcare centre.

Materials and Methods: A cross-sectional, self-designed and structured 15-item questionnaire study was conducted among 84 pregnant women to assess their knowledge and awareness about radiation hazards at Mahatma Gandhi Medical College, Puducherry, India, from January 2021 to June 2021. The data was collected and statistically analysed using the Chi-square test. The percentage, mean, and standard deviation were calculated for each participant. Cronbach’s alpha test was used to assess the reliability of the questionnaire and inter-item statistics.

Results: The study population consisted of pregnant women with an age range of 20-35 years, with a mean age of 27.7 years. The result showed 15 (17.9%) of pregnant women knew that X-rays are harmful to the foetus and 10 (11.9%) of pregnant women were aware that they should reveal their pregnancy status before undergoing dental radiographic procedures.

Conclusion: On an average, 40-80% of pregnant women had a lack of knowledge about dental radiation hazards and their effects, which clearly shows that there is a need for educating pregnant women about the hazards and risks associated with radiation exposure.

Keywords

Diagnostic radiographs, First trimester, Foetus, Safe

Physiological conditions like puberty, pregnancy, and menopause bring about reversible changes in oral health. Pregnant women are more susceptible to gingival and periodontal disease and experience pain in an advanced stage of pregnancy. Premature birth, low birth weight, and pregnancy granuloma development are also increased (1).

Most of the biological responses occurs during the first two weeks of pregnancy because embryo is more sensitive to stochastic effect and if mother is unaware of pregnancy, lead to miscarriage of foetus (2). Pregnant Women who received diagnostic imaging procedures were allocated as a 25.5 percent teratogenic risk for major malformation, while women in the exposed control group assigned a 15.7% teratogenic risk associated with diagnostic imaging procedures during pregnancy (3). There are two types of radiation, ionising and non ionising. Ionising radiation is the kind of electromagnetic radiation produced by electromagnetic waves, radioactive isotopes and radiation therapy (4). Non ionising includes electromagnetic radiation from computer and cellular phones. Most dental diagnostic procedures expose embryo to less than 50 mSv.This level of radiation exposure will not increase reproductive risk and radiation of 200 mSv lead to birth defects. Therefore, “As Low as Reasonably Achievable”, (ALARA) was mandatory during dentist routine work (4).

If a pregnant woman is subjected to a radiological examination, it can have deleterious effects on the foetus such as permanent developmental aberrations and anomalies, carcinogenic changes, and, in severe cases, intrauterine death to the foetus (5). Therefore, it is better to avoid or postpone multiple radiological examinations during the early stages of pregnancy (5). To the best of authors’ knowledge, studies on pregnant women are not available on literature search. Hence, the present study was conducted to evaluate the knowledge and attitude towards dental diagnostic hazards among pregnant women visiting the Outpatient Department.

Material and Methods

It was a questionnaire-based cross-sectional study which was conducted on pregnant women who visited Mahatma Gandhi Medical College, Puducherry, India, for a period of six months from January to June 2021. The ethical approval of the institution was obtained (IGIDS/IEC/2019/NRPUGKA/OMR/2019).

Inclusion and Exclusion criteria: All those pregnant women who were willing to participate in the study were included, and informed consent was obtained. Mentally and physically disabled, non pregnant women, and participants who are not willing to participate in the study were excluded from the study.

Sample size calculation: Sample size was calculated based on study conducted by Sajjan P et al., (6). A convenience sampling technique is utilised for subject selection. Total sample size was 84. The self-designed questionnaire was designed on the basis of study done by Bahanan L et al., (7) on women awareness regarding the use of dental imaging during pregnancy. The pilot study was conducted for 15 patients to assess the feasibility of the study. The validity and reliability of questionnaire was measured. The Kappa value of 0.8 and Cronbach value of 0.82 shows that the questionnaire had an excellent internal consistency and reliability.

Questionnaire

The questions were designed in the form of “YES, NO and DO NOT KNOW”. For the illiterate participants the questionnaire was explained in the local vernacular language and their responses were noted appropriately. This questionnaire consisted of two sections:

Section A: It included details about the demographic variables of the subject.

Section B: It included the structured questionnaire regarding knowledge and awareness of radiation hazards. It includes nine questions for assessing the knowledge and five questions for attitude.

A score for the given question was assigned, it was summed up and then it was divided by the total number of question and the percentage was calculated for each participant. The total possible score for the knowledge questions was nine, and correct answers obtained a score of 1, while wrong answers and don’t know got a score of 0.

STATISTICAL ANALYSIS

The data was analysed with STATA. Microsoft Excel was used to collect data. The total number of questions and the percentage mean and standard deviation were calculated for each participant. Cronbach’s alpha test was used to assess the reliability of the questionnaire with a score value of 0.82, and inter-item statistics were measured using the kappa test with a value of 0.80.

Results

A multiple-choice questionnaire was presented to 84 pregnant women. In section A, the demographic details showed that the age group ranged from 20-35 years of pregnant women, with a mean age of 27.7 years (Table/Fig 1). The last section focused on their knowledge of radiation and its effects. Out of total, 42 (50%) of pregnant women were aware of the radiation hazard symbol placed outside the X-ray room and 15 (17.9%) of pregnant women knew that X-rays were harmful to the foetus. Only 10 (11.9% ) of pregnant women are aware that they should reveal their pregnancy status before undergoing dental radiographic procedures. Only 25 (29.4%) of the pregnant women were aware that dental radiographs could be taken with proper protective measures.

About 22 (26.2%) of them were aware that they should not hold the dental film during radiographic exposure. Only 23 (27.4%) of women had knowledge about how often they should go for exposure to dental diagnostic procedures. About 19 (22.6%) of women knew about the side-effects of diagnostic radiographic procedures during pregnancy. Only 18 (21.4%) of pregnant women felt that there was a moderate or high-risk to the unborn baby from exposure to dental radiation during pregnancy (Table/Fig 2). The mean knowledge and attitude scores were 0.48±0.10 and 0.45±0.11, respectively.

Discussion

The present study was conducted to assess the knowledge and attitude of pregnant women towards dental radiation hazards. To make a definitive diagnosis, radiographs play a vital role during dental treatment (7).

Pregnancy is a unique and complex period with various physiologic changes that support the formation and maturation of new life. The oral cavity is the mirror of the human body as it reflects and influences systemic health. Prenatal health is heavily influenced by maternal oral health, so pregnant women must receive consistent and timely dental care (8). A significant dilemma exists about dental treatment during pregnancy especially with respect to the use of X-rays. In an emergency situation where a radiological examination is indispensable, it should be carried out with proper care (9).

In this present study, the radiation symbol placed outside the X-ray room was known by 42 (50%) of the study population. In a survey of dental students, Srivastava R et al., discovered that seven out of 10 (76.4%) were aware of the radiation hazard symbol (10). This shows that 50% of pregnant women are educated and aware about the radiation symbol. It is important to know about the radiation symbol to ensure the safety of patients as well as staff to avoid accidental exposure.

In this current study, the pregnant women’s knowledge was assessed about various protection methods during exposure and 22 (26.2%) that radiographic film should not be held with fingers while taking a radiograph. Arnout AE and Jafar A, found that 46.7% of dental undergraduates (11); whereas, Prabhat MP et al., reported that about 97% of undergraduates knew about this (12). Thus, the knowledge I less among the pregnant females as compared to dental students.

In this study, only 11.9% of the study population knew that they should reveal their pregnancy status before dental radiographic procedures, which means more public awareness programmes need to be conducted to educate the public. In an emergency situation where a radiological examination is indispensable, it should be carried out with proper care (13). Due to a lack of knowledge about dental radiation, it could increase the anxiety of pregnant women during dental treatment.

In this present study, awareness about how often pregnant women can be exposed to dental radiographic procedures was reported by 23% of the study population. The first two weeks of pregnancy are more sensitive to biological reactions, during which the mother is unaware of her pregnancy, leading to spontaneous abortion of the foetus. X-rays should not be done on pregnant women unless necessary (4).

In this study, nine people (10.7%) were only aware that dental X-rays can reflect off the walls of X-ray rooms. In a study by Arnout E et al., 69.7 (82.9%) of them answered that X-rays could be reflected from the walls of the room, which is inconsistent with the results of this study (14). The findings indicated that the study population’s knowledge of dental radiation was insufficient and that dentists and radiologists should play a key role in educating the study subjects (15).

In the present study to assess the attitude of pregnant women regarding the radiation risk to the unborn baby of exposure to dental radiographs during pregnancy, 18 (21.4%) of women responded “yes”. However, in the study by Arnout E, 33.3% of the undergraduate dental students answered that it is absolutely contraindicated to make dental radiographs too (14).

In the present study, 15 (17.9%) mentioned that dental radiographs made with X-rays are harmful. According to Swapna AL et al., around 59% of the students in the study believed that dental X-rays were harmful (16). Basheer B et al., conducted a study on dental students at Taibah University, Madinah, and showed that 66.7% of the clinical group who answered yes that X-rays are harmful and 33.3% of the clinical group who answered no about whether X-ray beams are reflected from room walls (17).

In the present study, 20 (23.38%) of the study population were aware that the first trimester is not safe for dental radiographic procedures. No study was conducted to assess the knowledge of pregnant women about the safest period of exposure. Bedre AS and Sharma S, revealed that only 2% of dentists knew that dental imaging is safe during pregnancy (18).

Srivastava R et al., mentioned in their study that dental radiographs should be taken only on an emergency basis (10). This observation indicates that the first semester is the most sensitive period during pregnancy and that the exposure threshold for the development of definitive defects increases after the main organogenesis period. The study conducted by Moustafa R et al., on awareness of radiation hazards during pregnancy among females on general radiology showed the radiation risk is higher in the first trimester than in other groups of the study (19). Study conducted by Sharma SR et al., revealed that congenital malformations are not associated with dental imaging. Pregnant women believed that there was an increased risk of congenital malformation. The threshold should exceed 200 mGy to develop foetal malformation (5).

It is essential that practising radiologists provide information in order to raise radiation awareness among pregnant women. However, to the best of authors’ knowledge, Jeelani S et al., conducted a study among pregnant women and general dentists to assess their perception towards oral health and the knowledge and attitude of general dentists about the radiation hazards and protection during dental diagnostic imaging (20). In the study by Jeelani S et al., study, it was concluded that general dentists lacked knowledge and attitude regarding pregnant women’s oral health status and that the majority of pregnant women’s knowledge about oral health was poor (20). Bedre AS and Sharma S, explained that most general dentists did not follow good radiological practise and did not explain the associated risk to the patients. They must be given sufficient information and understanding to enable them to make the right decisions about their healthcare (18).

Limitation(s)

The main limitation in this study was that it included only pregnant women, with limited study participants. This study may be vulnerable to self-selection bias due to the method of participant recruitment, affecting both internal and external validity. The study could be planned on pregnant and non pregnant women with a larger sample size and different study cohorts. Future research should concentrate on a larger sample size and a diverse range of study participants.

Conclusion

The key finding of this study revealed that pregnant women lack knowledge about dental radiation and they need proper education methods to ensure that dental X-rays are not harmful and that they can also have dental treatment without any fear. It is important to educate pregnant women through community-based education methods. On an average, 40-80% of pregnant women had a lack of knowledge about dental radiation hazards and their effects. Oral health and radiation hazard awareness education should be implemented in the prepregnancy stage to prevent exposure to diagnostic ionising radiation during pregnancy. Public policies may be developed regarding radiation hazard awareness among the pregnant population.

References

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Thakur V, Thakur R, Kaur M, Kaur J, Kumar A, Virdi D, et al. Pregnancy and oral health and dental management in pregnant patient. Journal of Current Medical Research and Opinion. 2020;03(11):724-31 [crossref]
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Vu CT, Elder DH. Pregnancy and the working interventional radiologist. Semin Intervent Radiol. 2013;30(4):403-07. [crossref] [PubMed]
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Kim E, Boyd B. Diagnostic imaging of pregnant women and fetuses: Literature review. Bioengineering (Basel). 2022;9(6):236. [crossref] [PubMed]
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White SC, Pharoah MJ. Oral radiology: Principles and Interpretation. 6th ed. St. Louis, USA: Mosby; 2009.
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Sharma SR, Karjodkar FR, Sansare KP, Saalim M, Mishra ID, Johaley S, et al. Attitude and awareness of general population towards radiation hazards and safety: An institutional study. Indian J Dent Res. 2019;30(1):27-30.
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DOI and Others

DOI: 10.7860/JCDR/2022/57166.17152

Date of Submission: Apr 18, 2022
Date of Peer Review: May 25, 2022
Date of Acceptance: Sep 10, 2022
Date of Publishing: Nov 01, 2022

Author declaration:
• Financial or Other Competing Interests: None
• Was Ethics Committee Approval obtained for this study? Yes
• Was informed consent obtained from the subjects involved in the study? Yes
• For any images presented appropriate consent has been obtained from the subjects. NA

PLAGIARISM CHECKING METHODS:
• Plagiarism X-checker: Apr 27, 2022
• Manual Googling: Sep 09, 2022
• iThenticate Software: Sep 22, 2022 (15%)

Etymology: Author Origin

JCDR is now Monthly and more widely Indexed .
  • Emerging Sources Citation Index (Web of Science, thomsonreuters)
  • Index Copernicus ICV 2017: 134.54
  • Academic Search Complete Database
  • Directory of Open Access Journals (DOAJ)
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  • Google Scholar
  • HINARI Access to Research in Health Programme
  • Indian Science Abstracts (ISA)
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