According to a new study, getting frequent dental X-rays could significantly increase the risk of non-malignant brain tumours.

The team led by researchers from the Yale University School of Medicine in the US said that having dental X-rays can double or triple the chances of developing meningioma tumours. In one case, they noted a five times increase in risks for children who get dental X-rays.

The researchers in the US studied self-reported dental histories of 1,433 patients, who were diagnosed with meningioma tumours. They compared the results with a control group of 1,350 matched individuals, who did not have the condition.

The tumour patients were found to be more frequently exposed to dental X-rays. The study said that those people who received more than one dental x-ray a year are twice as likely to develop a common type of brain tumour.

"The study highlights the need for increasing awareness regarding the optimal use of dental X-rays , which unlike many risk factors, is modifiable," said lead author Elizabeth Claus, a professor at Yale and a neurosurgeon at Brigham and Women's Hospital in Boston.

The study points out that the procedure should be used as less frequently as possible by dentists from around the world.