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Work flow with digital intraoral radiography: a systematic review
1Department of Oral Radiology, School of Dentistry, Aarhus University, Vennelyst Boulevard, Aarhus, Denmark. awenzel@odont.au.dk
Acta Odontologica Scandinavica
|February 10, 2010
Summary
Digital radiography offers some benefits over film, but not all predicted advantages are realized in practice. Careful consideration of image retakes and patient dose is crucial for effective implementation.
Area of Science:
- Radiology
- Dental Imaging
- Medical Technology
Background:
- Digital radiography (DR) has been promoted for numerous advantages over traditional film-based systems.
- These include reduced working time, lower patient radiation dose, fewer retakes, wider dynamic range, and improved data management.
- However, unforeseen clinical challenges have also emerged.
Purpose of the Study:
- To systematically review the advantages and disadvantages of digital radiography in clinical practice.
- To evaluate the realization of predicted benefits such as efficiency, dose reduction, and image quality.
- To assess clinical aspects like patient comfort, receptor durability, and image handling.
Main Methods:
- A comprehensive literature search was conducted using the PubMed database (June-August 2009).
- Search strategies were detailed for specific tasks, supplemented by hand searches of relevant journals.
- No limits were placed on the search parameters.
Main Results:
- Time savings are possible, but radiation dose reduction is not guaranteed.
- Retakes and errors may increase; wider dynamic range is seen with photostimulable storage phosphor (PSP) plates but not sensors.
- Patient information impact is understudied; large file sizes and compression pose storage/communication challenges.
- Patient discomfort is higher with sensors; PSP plates can be scratched, requiring protective barriers.
- Optimal viewing conditions involve subdued lighting.
Conclusions:
- Not all anticipated benefits of digital radiography are consistently achieved in daily clinical settings.
- The relationship between the number of images, retakes, and patient radiation dose requires further investigation.
- Clinical implementation necessitates careful management of digital imaging workflows and potential drawbacks.
