Getting frequent dental X-rays appears to increase the risk for a commonly diagnosed brain tumor, a new study finds.Exposure to ionizing radiation -- the kind found in X-rays -is the biggest known environmental risk factor for largely non-malignant meningioma brain tumors. Routine dental X-rays are among the most common sources of radiation for most healthy people in the U.S. The new study suggests that performing frequent X-rays may expose patients to unnecessary risk. "These findings should not prevent anyone from going to the dentist," says lead researcher and neurosurgeon Elizabeth B. Claus, MD, PhD, of Yale University School of Medicine and Boston's Brigham and Women's Hospital. "But it appears that a large percentage of patients receive annual X-rays instead of every two to three years, which is the recommendation for healthy adults." Dental X-ray, Benign Brain Tumors While the vast majority of meningiomas are non-malignant, they often gr...