Comparative dosimetry of dental CBCT devices and 64-slice CT for oral and maxillofacial radiology.
OBJECTIVE
This study compares 2 measures of effective dose, E(1990) and E(2007), for 8 dentoalveolar and maxillofacial cone-beam computerized tomography (CBCT) units and a 64-slice multidetector CT (MDCT) unit.


METHODS
Average tissue-absorbed dose, equivalent dose, and effective dose were calculated using thermoluminescent dosimeter chips in a radiation analog dosimetry phantom. Effective doses were derived using 1990 and the superseding 2007 International Commission on Radiological Protection (ICRP) recommendations.


RESULTS
Large-field of view (FOV) CBCT E(2007) ranged from 68 to 1,073 microSv. Medium-FOV CBCT E(2007) ranged from 69 to 560 microSv, whereas a similar-FOV MDCT produced 860 microSv. The E(2007) calculations were 23% to 224% greater than E(1990).


CONCLUSIONS
The 2007 recommendations of the ICRP, which include salivary glands, extrathoracic region, and oral mucosa in the calculation of effective dose, result in an upward reassessment of fatal cancer risk from oral and maxillofacial radiographic examinations. Dental CBCT can be recommended as a dose-sparing technique in comparison with alternative medical CT scans for common oral and maxillofacial radiographic imaging tasks.
Ludlow
John B
JB
Department of Diagnostic Sciences and General Dentistry, University of North Carolina School of Dentistry, Chapel Hill, North Carolina 27599-7450, USA. jbl@email.unc.edu
Ivanovic
Marija
M
D054893:Cone-Beam Computed Tomography / Q000295:instrumentation; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D019047:Phantoms, Imaging; D017410:Practice Guidelines as Topic; D011861:Radiography, Dental / Q000379:methods*; D012016:Reference Values; D012886:Skull / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D013819:Thermoluminescent Dosimetry / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed / Q000295:instrumentation; D014481:United States