HERCA/ Medical Applications/ Position paper on use of handheld portable dental x-ray equipment

The Board of HERCA has approved at its 13th Meeting held in Vilnius on 11-12 June 2014 a position paper on the on use of handheld portable dental x-ray equipment. The position Statement focuses on justification in the medical field, in particular on the use of handheld portable dental x-ray equipment. It supplements another HERCA position paper, providing a general overview of the use of all hand-held portable X-ray equipment.

Key Messages in the statement are the following:

• HERCA finds that the use of handheld portable X-ray devices should be discouraged except in special circumstances.
• As a general rule, these devices should only be used in scenarios where an intraoral radiograph is deemed necessary for a patient and the use of a fixed or semi-mobile x-ray unit is impractical, e.g.:
• nursing homes, residential care facilities or homes for persons with disabilities;
• forensic odontology,
• military operations abroad without dental facilities.

Documents

HERCA position statement on use of handheld portable dental x-ray equipment