Evaluation of patient dose in dental radiography

Abstract

Dental radiography is one of the most valuable tools used in modern dental health care. Dental radiography contributes for nearly 25% of the total number of radiological examinations in European Union. Therefore, dental radiography must be used carefully for patients radiation protection. The aim of This study intended to measure the radiation dose in dental radiography (intraoral (periapcial and occlusal) and extral oral(Ortho pantomogram(OPG)). Random samples consist of 55 patients who underwent dental radiography examination. The patients were registered (age, gender, type of examination, clinical examination, exposure factor (mA, kV, sec)). Out of this sample, 20 patients were females while the 37 were males and their ages ranged from 4 to 62 years old. The study was done in Khartoum teaching dental hospital-Khartoum, Sudan.Data were collected in the period from November 2011 to January 2012. The mean ESD in piratical was 0.94±0.3 and the range was 0.05 to 1.4 mGy per procedure. The mean ESD and the range during occlusal film imaging was 2.19±0.3 (1.7-2.3) mGy while the mean ESD and the range in OPG was 233.5±22.23 (192.3-262). The study shows that there is a large dose variation between different X-ray units used for the same radiographic projection. When performing radiological examinations different exposure XII‫‪factors‬‬ ‫‪for‬‬ ‫‪different‬‬ ‫‪patients‬‬ ‫‪must‬‬ ‫‪be‬‬ ‫‪used.‬‬ ‫‪The‬‬ ‫‪radiation‬‬ ‫‪doses‬‬ ‫‪for‬‬ ‫‪this‬‬ ‫‪study‬‬ ‫‪were‬‬ ‫‪lower‬‬ ‫‪than‬‬ ‫‪the‬‬ ‫‪most‬‬ ‫‪previous‬‬ ‫‪studies.‬‬