title: Niobium filtration of conventional and high-frequency x-ray generator beams for intraoral radiography. Effects on absorbed doses, image density and contrast, and photon spectra.
abstract: We have studied the effects of niobium beam filtration on absorbed doses, on image density and contrast, and on photon spectra with conventional and high-frequency dental x-ray generators. Added niobium reduced entry and superficial absorbed doses in periapical radiography by 9% to 40% with film and digital image receptors, decreased the radiation necessary to produce a given image density on E-speed film and reduced image contrast on D- and E-speed films. As shown by increased half-value layers for aluminum, titanium, and copper and by pulse-height analyses of beam spectra, niobium increased average beam energy by 6% to 19%. Despite the benefits of adding niobium on patient dose reduction and on narrowing the beams' energy spectra, the beam can be overhardened. Adding niobium, therefore, strikes the best balance between radiation dose reduction and beam attenuation, with its risks of increased exposure times, motion blur, and diminished image contrast, when it is used at modest thicknesses (30 microns) and at lower kVp (70) settings.
authors.affiliation: University of Connecticut Health Center, School of Dental Medicine, Department of Oral Diagnosis, Farmington, USA.
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Tetradis
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Scaf
authors.forename: A G
authors.initials: AG
authors.lastname: Lurie
authors.forename: M L
authors.initials: ML
authors.lastname: Freedman
mesh_terms: D015502:Absorptiometry, Photon; D000042:Absorption; D005374:Filtration / Q000295:instrumentation; D006257:Head / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D009333:Neck / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D009556:Niobium; D019047:Phantoms, Imaging; D017785:Photons; D011787:Quality of Health Care; D011829:Radiation Dosage; D011856:Radiographic Image Enhancement / Q000295:instrumentation; D011861:Radiography, Dental / Q000295:instrumentation* / Q000592:standards; D011874:Radiometry; D012044:Regression Analysis; D013679:Technology, Radiologic; D014962:X-Ray Film
chemical_list: D009556:Niobium