Radiation dose in dental radiology

Area of Science:

• Radiological Sciences
• Dental Imaging
• Medical Physics

Background:

• Panoramic radiography (PR), dental computed tomography (CT), and digital volume tomography (DVT) are common dental imaging techniques.
• Assessing and comparing radiation exposure from these modalities is crucial for patient safety and optimizing diagnostic procedures.

Purpose of the Study:

• To quantitatively compare the radiation doses and image noise associated with panoramic radiography (PR), dental CT, and digital volume tomography (DVT).
• To evaluate the suitability of DVT as a general alternative to PR based on radiation exposure and image quality.

Main Methods:

• Utilized an Alderson-Rando phantom and two anatomical head phantoms with thermoluminescent dosimeters.
• Standard parameters were used for PR and DVT; CT parameters (mA, pitch, rotation time) were varied.
• Measured maximum radiation doses (mGy) to skin and internal organs, and assessed image noise.

Main Results:

• Maximum radiation doses were 0.65 mGy for PR, 4.2 mGy for DVT, and 23 mGy for standard CT.
• Dose-reduced CT protocols yielded doses between 10.9 and 6.1 mGy.
• Image noise was comparable between DVT and low-dose CT; effective doses for PR, DVT, and dose-reduced CT were below 0.1 mSv.

Conclusions:

• Digital Volume Tomography (DVT) offers comparable radiation exposure and image noise to low-dose CT.
• However, due to similar radiation profiles to low-dose CT, DVT is not recommended as a routine replacement for panoramic radiography (PR) in dental radiology.
• Further research may explore specific clinical indications where DVT's advantages outweigh its radiation dose compared to PR.