Radiobiologic risk estimation from dental radiology. Part I. Absorbed doses to critical organs

The aim of the present study was to generate one consistent set of data for evaluating and comparing radiobiologic risks from different dental radiographic techniques. To accomplish this goal, absorbed doses were measured in fourteen anatomic sites from (1) five different panoramic machines with the use of rare-earth screens, (2) a twenty-film complete-mouth survey with E-speed film, long round cone, (3) a twenty-film complete-mouth survey with E-speed film, long rectangular cone, (4) a four-film interproximal survey with E-speed film, long round cone, and (5) a four-film interproximal survey with E-speed film, long rectangular cone. The dose to the thyroid gland, the active bone marrow, the brain, and the salivary glands was evaluated by means of exposure of a tissue-equivalent phantom, fitted with lithium fluoride thermoluminescent dosimeters (TLDs) at the relevant locations.