Head-and-neck organ doses from an episode of orthodontic care.
BACKGROUND
The high prevalence of orthodontic treatment in young people makes the associated radiation to the head and neck of potential public-health significance. In this study, we estimated secular changes (1963-2003) in age-specific organ doses associated with orthodontic care and collective organ doses in the United States in 1999.


METHODS
A survey of radiographic records at 1 university clinic was combined with published estimates to provide organ-specific radiation doses. Collective organ doses were estimated from the 1999 US Nationwide Evaluation of X-ray Trends and published orthodontic utilization surveys.


RESULTS
Before 1992, orthodontic care in a university setting was associated with mean doses of 7.0 milligrays (mGy) to the thyroid, 0.8 mGy to the red bone marrow, 2.7 mGy to the brain, 13.2 mGy to the salivary glands, and 5.1 mGy to the bone. After 1992, the doses decreased to 2.8 mGy to the thyroid, 0.3 mGy to the red bone marrow, 0.7 mGy to the brain, 6.2 mGy to the saliva glands, and 2.4 mGy to the bone. Around 1999, the collective doses associated with orthodontic care in the United States in patients less than 19 years of age were 400 Gy to the red bone marrow and 3800 Gy to the thyroid.


CONCLUSIONS
Orthodontic care, in part due to its high prevalence, potentially contributes significantly to the diagnostic radiation burden in those less than 19 years old in the United States.
Hujoel
Philippe
P
Department of Dental Public Health Sciences and Epidemiology, School of Dentistry, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195-7475, USA. hujoel@u.washington.edu
Hollender
Lars
L
Bollen
Anne-Marie
AM
Young
John D
JD
McGee
Molly
M
Grosso
Alex
A
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D001822:Body Burden; D001853:Bone Marrow / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D001921:Brain / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D002508:Cephalometry; D002648:Child; D054893:Cone-Beam Computed Tomography; D017050:Episode of Care; D005147:Facial Bones / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009971:Orthodontics, Corrective / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D011829:Radiation Dosage; D011861:Radiography, Dental / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D012796:Sialography; D013961:Thyroid Gland / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D014481:United States; D014962:X-Ray Film