title: Evolution of diagnostic reference levels in Spanish intraoral radiology.
abstract: A total of 16 175 official reports of quality assurance on dental radiodiagnostic surgeries from 16 Spanish autonomous regions compiled during 2002-09 were studied to determine the evolution of diagnostic reference levels (DRLs) for obtaining a diagnostic image in the normal conditions of clinical practice in Spanish dental clinics. A DRL of 3.1 mGy was set in 2009, which represents a 35.4 % decrease compared with the dose determined in 2002 (4.8 mGy). During the same period, the mean dose fell by only 17.2 %. The DRL recommended by the European Union in 2004 for intraoral radiology is 4 mGy, and this study shows that 83.4 % of the installations used a dose below this. Of the installations using indirect or direct digital systems 1.1 and 1.2 %, respectively, used doses higher than those recommended, while 14.2 % of those using radiographic film exceeded this limit.
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiology and Physical Medicine, University of Murcia, Campus Espinardo, Murcia, Spain. mab@um.es
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Alcaraz
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Velasco
authors.forename: Y
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Martínez-Beneyto
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Alcaraz-Saura
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Velasco
authors.forename: G D
authors.initials: GD
authors.lastname: Achel
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Canteras
mesh_terms: D017408:Guidelines as Topic; D006801:Humans; D011829:Radiation Dosage; D011835:Radiation Protection / Q000295:instrumentation / Q000592:standards*; D011861:Radiography, Dental / Q000592:standards*; D012015:Reference Standards; D018570:Risk Assessment; D013030:Spain