Known as being bound to their chairs, dentists have been perceived as quiet and rarely engaged in social issues until recently.
But, since 2016, dentists -- led by the Dental Council of Thailand -- have come out to protest against the recent Radiation and Nuclear Regulation Act drafted by the Office of Atoms for Peace (OAP), an authority under the science ministry responsible for industrial use of radioactive material.
Dentists across the country have been up in arms after the new law requires every dental clinic to hire a special radiology expert to control dental X-ray machines, with penalties of up to 500,000 baht and a five-year jail term.
