Free-focus radiography using conventional films--radiation exposures in a simulated clinical study

This study compared air exposures during conventional dental and maxillofacial radiography and similar views using free-focus radiography with conventional image receptors. The results show that periapical type surveys on nonscreen film placed extraorally or in the buccal fold may be carried out with an exposure to the surface tissues, which is similar to or less than conventional dental radiography. Extraoral survey type radiographs of the jaws may be carried out with significantly less surface exposure than lateral oblique views of the jaws. The least exposure was required, when the film was placed in the buccla fold instead of against the face during free-focus radiography. The exposures with film screen combinations were reduced by an order of magnitude when compared to the nonscreen techniques. Proper filtration of the beam of the miniaturized x-ray machines radiography in dentistry may thus be desirable and applications in other parts of the body encouraged.