Case control studies implicating dental X-rays in the genesis of intracranial meningiomas have yielded conflicting results. To further evaluate what risk, if any, that intracranial meningioma might be associated with dental X-rays, we examined the association of benign brain tumor incidence with the number of dentists and other correlates of oral health in U.S. states and the District of Columbia. We compared these correlations to the association of the same markers of oral health with Alzheimer's death rates. Poor oral health, especially periodontal disease, is a well-established risk factor for dementia.
Results: Pearson correlations, number of cases (49, no data from Kansas or Maryland) and significance (2 tailed p values) of benign brain tumor incidence and parameters of oral health are presented. None of the correlations approached statistical significance. In contrast, Alzheimer's deaths by state were negatively correlated with number of dentists and other markers of oral health.
Conclusion: Our finding of a total lack of correlation between benign brain tumors and markers of oral health and, by implication, dental X-rays, suggests there may be no relationship between dental X-rays and meningioma or other benign brain tumors. This conclusion is strengthened by our demonstration of the known negative correlation between Alzheimer's and dental care.