Dentists appeal to PM over new X-ray rules
A network of 2,000 dentists called on Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha yesterday to remove dental X-ray scanners from a list of equipment now under stricter control as a result of the new Radiation and Nuclear Regulation Act.
The dentists signed a petition handed to the prime minister yesterday by 40 representatives via the government complaint centre at Government House.
Dental X-ray scanners are currently regulated by the Department of Medical Sciences and have to be certified safe to use by the Office of Atoms for Peace (OAP).
The new law in which radioactive tools have to be registered with the Ministry of Science and Technology raises concerns over “overlapping regulating”, which may complicate the work of dentists and eventually affect their dental treatment, the network’s representative Phadet Tangngamsakun said yesterday.
The group wants Gen Prayut, who chairs the national commission on nuclear energy for peace, to issue a ministerial regulation so dental X-ray devices are exempt under the new law. Such a ministerial regulation can be issued citing sections 18 and 25 of the new Nuclear Energy for Peace Act sponsored by the OAP.
Under the law, effective on Feb 1, operators of such machines must be radiation safety officers (RSO) who have gone through rigorous examinations to obtain a licence. This means dentists can no longer operate the X-ray scanner themselves if they do not have an RSO licence.
The drafting of organic laws concerning RSO licences and related issues are underway.
Dr Phadet said the main objective of the nuclear law aims to put stricter controls on large radioactive equipment, industry using radioactive substances, nuclear plants as well as nuclear waste management, so it is unusual to see the inclusion of dental X-ray scanners on the list.
No academic research has proved that small amounts of radiation from dental X-ray devices harms human health, he said.
“I have no idea what benefit patients get from this law. On the contrary, patients could lose out as a result,” he said.
Another network member, Samrit Jirojvanichakorn, said he suspects the legal move may serve as a channel for “people seeking vested interests”.
The use of X-ray scanners cause little or no problem and is no different from turning on a light bulb, “so why do authorities want to put them under stricter control?” he asked.
“It’s like a gun and a child’s catapult. Now we are saying a catapult must also be registered,” he said, comparing an X-ray scanner with a catapult.
The penalty under the new law states that violators are subject to five years in jail or a hefty fine of 500,000 baht.
“It seems if we fail to register a catapult, we’ll get the same punishment as owning an unregistered gun,” Dr Samrit said.
The OAP has defended the new law regulating nuclear energy, insisting it will not affect the operation of more than 6,000 dental clinics using X-ray machines, as feared by the Dental Council.
The office said the amended Nuclear Energy for Peace Act will not affect dental clinics, except that they will be required to pay an additional licence fee of 1,000 baht per year for their X-ray machines.