METHODS OF DETERMINING THE EFFECTIVE DOSE INDENTAL RADIOLOGY

• Published in: Radiation protection dosimetry Vol. 139; no. 1-3; p. 306
• Main Authors: Thilander Klang, Anne, Helmrot, Ebba
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: 2010
• Subjects: dental radiology; Effective dose; Fysiologi och farmakologi; MEDICIN; MEDICINE; Physiology and pharmacology; Radiofysik; Radiological physics; Radiological research; Radiologisk forskning
• ISSN: 1742-3406; 0144-8420
• DOI: 10.1093/rpd/ncq081

A wide variety of X-ray equipment is used today in dental radiology, including intra-oral, orthopantomographic, cephalometric, cone-beam computed tomography (CBCT) and computed tomography (CT). This raises the question of how the radiation risks resulting from different kinds of examinations should be compared. The risk to the patient is usually expressed in terms of the effective dose. However, it is difficult to determine its reliability, and it is difficult to make comparisons, especially when different modalities are used. The classification of the new CBCT units is also problematic as they are sometimes classified as CT units. This will lead to problems in choosing the best dosimetric method, especially when the examination geometry more resembles an ordinary orthopantomographic examination, as the axis of rotation is not at the centre of the patient, and small radiation field sizes are used. The purpose of this study was to present different methods for the estimation of the effective dose from the equipment currently used in dental radiology, and to discuss their limitations. The methods are compared based on common used measurable and computable dose quantities, and their reliability in the estimation of effective dose.