Determination of size-specific exposure settings in dental cone-beam CT

To estimate the possible reduction of tube output as a function of head size in dental cone-beam computed tomography (CBCT).

A 16 cm PMMA phantom, containing a central and six peripheral columns filled with PMMA, was used to represent an average adult male head. The phantom was scanned using CBCT, with 0-6 peripheral columns having been removed in order to simulate varying head sizes. For five kV settings (70-90 kV), the mAs required to reach a predetermined image noise level was determined, and corresponding radiation doses were derived. Results were expressed as a function of head size, age, and gender, based on growth reference charts.

The use of 90 kV consistently resulted in the largest relative dose reduction. A potential mAs reduction ranging from 7 % to 50 % was seen for the different simulated head sizes, showing an exponential relation between head size and mAs. An optimized exposure protocol based on head circumference or age/gender is proposed.

A considerable dose reduction, through reduction of the mAs rather than the kV, is possible for small-sized patients in CBCT, including children and females. Size-specific exposure protocols should be clinically implemented.

• Fixed exposure settings in CBCT results in overexposure for smaller patients • For children, considerable dose reduction is possible without compromising image quality • A reduction in mAs is more dose-efficient than a kV reduction • An optimized exposure protocol was proposed based on phantom measurements • This protocol should be validated in a clinical setting.