Radiation exposure and dose evaluation in intraoral dental radiology

Abstract

In this study, dose area product measurements have been performed to propose diagnostic reference levels (DRLs) in intraoral dental radiology. Measurements were carried out at 60 X-ray units for all types of intraoral examinations performed in clinical routine. The third quartile values calculated range from 26.2 to 87.0 mGy cm(2). The results showed that there exists a large difference between the patient exposures among different dental facilities. It was also observed that dentists working with faster film type or higher tube voltage are not always associated with lower exposure. The study demonstrated the necessity to have the DRLs laid out as guidelines in dental radiology.