“Radiation from dental X-ray machines is so little that these machines should not be subject to the same level of supervision as big radiation devices,” Dentist Arkom Sansernchuchote said on Tuesday, as his group submitted a petition to Prayut via the Secretariat of the Prime Minister.

His group demanded that dental X-ray machines should be governed by the Department of Medical Sciences, not the Nuclear Energy for Peace Act.

Science and Technology Ministry’s permanent secretary Soranit Siltharm said the act was designed to ensure the safety of not just service users but also staff.

“Staff have to work with the machines and have higher exposure. That’s why we need to enforce stricter control,” he said.