title: Assessing the FDA guidelines for ordering dental radiographs.
abstract: In 1988, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration issued guidelines to help dentists reduce the amount of X-ray exposure to patients without reducing the quality of care. This study assesses the efficacy of those guidelines. The authors examined 490 patients and ordered radiographs as indicated by the FDA guidelines. Using the guidelines, they ordered a mean of 9.7 radiographs out of a 17-film series, a reduction of 43 percent compared with a full-mouth series. The authors conclude that dentists can reduce a patient's exposure to X-rays by using these guidelines with a low level of missed radiographic findings, most of which would have no effect on the patient's treatment.
authors.affiliation: University of California, Los Angeles, School of Dentistry, Section of Public Health Dentistry 90095-1668, USA.
authors.forename: K A
authors.initials: KA
authors.lastname: Atchison
authors.forename: S C
authors.initials: SC
authors.lastname: White
authors.forename: V F
authors.initials: VF
authors.lastname: Flack
authors.forename: E R
authors.initials: ER
authors.lastname: Hewlett
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D017410:Practice Guidelines as Topic; D011829:Radiation Dosage; D011861:Radiography, Dental / Q000379:methods / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D014481:United States; D014486:United States Food and Drug Administration