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Dose reduction by field size trimming in rotational panoramic radiography
Scandinavian Journal of Dental Research
|February 1, 1985
Summary
Reducing radiation exposure in dental radiography is crucial. This study shows that by narrowing the irradiated field in rotational panoramic radiography, significant dose reductions for patients, especially children, can be achieved.
Area of Science:
- Radiology
- Dental Imaging
- Radiation Dosimetry
Background:
- Rotational panoramic radiography is widely used in dentistry.
- Frequent retakes can lead to increased radiation exposure for patients, particularly children.
- Optimizing radiation dose is essential for patient safety.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate the effectiveness of reducing the irradiated field size in rotational panoramic radiography for dose reduction.
- To compare dose reductions achieved with standard and rare earth screens.
Main Methods:
- An electronic timer was integrated with an Orthopantomograph 5 for precise exposure control (5-15 s).
- Vertical extracollimation was employed to limit the beam.
- The field size was reduced to target only the developing dentition.
- Integral absorbed dose and organ doses (thyroid, eye lens) were measured using standard and rare earth screens.
Main Results:
- Reducing the field size to the developing dentition resulted in a ~60% reduction in integral absorbed dose with standard screens.
- Using rare earth screens, integral absorbed dose was reduced by 85%, with thyroid and eye lens doses reduced by 70-79% and 80-89%, respectively.
- The achieved doses were comparable to or lower than those from a single dental film (Speed Group D).
Conclusions:
- Field size reduction in rotational panoramic radiography significantly lowers radiation dose.
- Rare earth screens offer superior dose reduction compared to standard screens.
- This technique provides a substantial dose reduction for patients, especially beneficial for pediatric dental radiography.