British Journal of Radiology · 1983 · 59 citations · 0 references
DentistryOral RadiologyRadiologyDental RadiologyRadiation DosimetryRadiation SafetyDental RadiographyIntraoral RadiographyOral Cancer Risk AssessmentRadiation Dose MeasurementRadiation Risk AssessmentRadiological Risk AssessmentEquivalent Dose DeterminationInternal Dose AssessmentMedical Imaging Radiation DoseOral Cancer IncidencePhoton Equivalent DoseRadiation Dose AssessmentRadiation Dose Estimation
The study calculated weighted dose equivalents for intra‑oral, extra‑oral, and pantomographic dental X‑ray exams using organ‑specific weighting factors. Dental radiology in Britain grew rapidly, with 7.8 million exams in 1981 yielding weighted doses of 20 µSv, 30 µSv, and 80 µSv for intra‑oral, extra‑oral, and pantomographic techniques, respectively, and a collective dose of 212 man Sv that would cause no more than about three additional fatal cancers.
The continued expansion of dental radiology in Britain up to the end of 1981 is demonstrated, with a rate of increase much in excess of that seen for general medical radiography. Of the total of 7.8 × 106 dental X-ray examinations undertaken in 1981 approximately 6.7 × 106 were intra-oral, 1.5 × 105 were extra-oral and 9.1 × 105 were pantomographic. Weighted dose equivalents for typical examinations in each of these categories were calculated using specific weighting factors for the important “remainder” organs. Values of 20 μSv, 30 μSv and 80 μSv were obtained for intra-oral, extra-oral and pantomographic techniques, respectively, corresponding to risks of fatal malignancy of 0.33, 0.5 and 1.3 per million. The estimated collective weighted dose equivalent of 212 man Sv to the population of Britain from the current level of dental radiology is predicted to result in no more than about three extra cases of fatal cancer when the age- and sex-related opportunity for manifestation of radiation-induced cancers is taken into account.