Is it true that the radiation dose to which patients are exposed has decreased with modern radiographic films?
OBJECTIVE
To determine whether the radiation dose administered to patients has decreased with new radiographic films and digital imaging systems.


METHODS
A total of 10 171 official reports on radiological practice in dental surgeries (covering the years 1996-2003) from 16 Spanish autonomous regions were studied, analysing the type of film used, the exposure times and the radiation doses administered in each dental clinic for four different teeth: upper molar, lower molar, upper incisor and lower incisor.


RESULTS
The Agfa Dentus M2 radiographic film needed the longest exposure times for all of the teeth (0.6 s, 0.5 s, 0.4 s and 0.4 s, respectively) followed in decreasing order by Ultraspeed, Insight, Ektaspeed and the digital systems, the decrease with respect to the first reaching as much as 60%. Regarding the dose administered, Agfa Dentus M2 used the highest dose (3.1 mGy) followed by Ultraspeed (2.7 mGy), Insight (2.2 mGy), Ektaspeed (2.2 mGy) and, finally, the digital systems (1.1 mGy). Statistical analysis showed significant differences between the doses administered for the digital systems with respect to the radiographic films (P < 0.001) and with respect to manual or automatic processing (P < 0.001). However, there were no significant differences in dose between the different types of films themselves, or between the radiographic developing processes themselves (manual and automatic).


CONCLUSIONS
Not even the use of the most sensitive of modern films has brought about a reduction of the dose administered to patients in Spain. Only digital systems, it seems, will bring about reduction in this dose.
Alcaraz
M
M
Department of Radiology and Physical Medicine, Faculty of Medicine/Dentistry, University of Murcia, Espinardo, Spain. mab@um.es
Parra
C
C
Martínez Beneyto
Y
Y
Velasco
E
E
Canteras
M
M
D006801:Humans; D007180:Incisor / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D008963:Molar / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D011829:Radiation Dosage; D011856:Radiographic Image Enhancement / Q000379:methods; D016300:Radiography, Bitewing / Q000295:instrumentation / Q000379:methods; D019252:Radiography, Dental, Digital / Q000295:instrumentation / Q000379:methods; D013030:Spain; D013997:Time Factors; D014962:X-Ray Film / Q000145:classification / Q000706:statistics & numerical data