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Re: A LNT Experience !!NOT!!



Title: Re: A LNT Experience !!NOT!!
Ruth Weiner wrote:

 Perhaps I was too terse in my recital.  The local Dental Board requires him to use fast film and not to use slower film.  I thought you might have realized that.
Ruth Weiner, Ph. D.
ruthweiner@aol.com

No, in fact you were anything but terse. Terse is "brief and to the point; effectively concise, clear." Your communication was not concise or clear on the issue of who was doing the requiring. in fact, you clearly attributed the decision to the dentist and made no mention that he was required by some agency or quasi-agency to use the film in question. Therefore, assuming that I am not omniscient, I had no way to "have realized that."

May I ask what city this dentist practices in?

In California there is no requirement that a dentist use these faster films; however, most (or all) do. There are recommendations, but no rule.

The complaint that the new faster film does not give good images may have been true for the D-speed Kodak Ultra-speed intraoral dental films; however, since July of 2000 a new film (InSight F-Speed Dental Film) became available. Kodak sent out a "DentALERT" for this new film on July 21, 2000. The dentists I have spoken with say that this new film (F-speed) gives them image quality that is adequate for their needs. Therefore, 60% dose reduction and adequate image quality - where is the LNT issue?

If these faster films were giving images of such poor quality that additional x-rays needed to be taken, the very purpose of the lower dose (lower by 60%) claim would be lost. Additionally, any dentist who was having to take additional films would be complaining about the time and money being spent (it is a business and these do cost the dentist). Suppliers (Burkhart's technical support) are not reporting that they are receiving these complaints.

Finally, unless there is a definitive requirement from an agency that has the authority to require use of this new film, I continue to support my belief that this was a business decision.

Ruth Weiner wrote:

If you lived in New Mexico you would understand that the certification boards here do strange things ( e.g., the legislature just told the medical board to license psychologists to prescribe drugs; e.g.(2) physician's assistants can prescribe drugs and treament with no M. D. oversight; e.g. (3) some medical insurance plans here pay for treatment by Native American healers). 

Okay, in California some pay for acupuncture treatments and massage therapy. That is, they do some strange things. The examples you gave are medical and not dental. Has some dental "board" actually enacted a rule that forces the use of a specific speed film? Again, what city is this in Nevada?

Paul Lavely
lavelyp@uclink4.berkeley.edu


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