Absorbed dose to organs in the head and neck from bitewing radiography

Dose measurements were carried out to estimate the absorbed dose to organs at risk from bitewing radiography under exposure conditions similar to those found in general dental practice in The Netherlands. The measurements were carried out in the head and neck of a Rando phantom using TLD-100 ribbons. Three different X-ray machines were used simulating 10 different exposure conditions to determine the effects of beam energy, beam size and focus-skin distance on the absorbed dose. The absorbed dose in the primary beam, close to the focal spot, decreased as the beam energy increased, while behind the film plane it increased with the beam energy. Outside the primary beam, at short distances from the skin surface, the absorbed dose decreased as the energy increased, while behind the film plane and at greater distances from the primary beam the absorbed dose increased as the beam energy increased. The absorbed dose was significantly lower for smaller beam sizes and for larger focus-skin distances, independent of beam energy.