Is radio-frequency radiation emitted by mobile phones, a cause for concern? A dentist’s review

Abstract

This review summarizes and interprets the biological eff ects of radio-frequency radiations emitted by mobile phones on the oral cavity and its constituents namely, buccal mucosal cells, saliva - its constituents and fl ow rate and salivary (parotid) glands. The emphasis of this review is on the changes - degenerative, cancerous or otherwise brought about in the individuals using mobile phones regularly. Most of the studies done to establish a defi nitive causal relationship between radio-frequency (RF) radiation and changes in oral tissues and saliva rely on the information given by the subjects which may not be accurate. Tissues closest to phone antenna are the sites of maximum exposure to RF energy, making oral cavity a target site. Thus, it is recommended to explore various changes taking place in the oral tissues with mobile phone use. Most of these eff ects may take years or decades before expressing themselves. Current studies lack both long-term users as well as outcomes. At present, overall the use of mobile phones has not shown any signifi cant health hazard and the associations found in terms of changes taking place in cells and salivary constituents need to be substantiated by further strong evidence-based long-term studies.