Comparative dosimetry of dental CBCT devices and 64-slice CT for oral and maxillofacial radiology

ObjectivesThis study compares 2 measures of effective dose, E1990 and E2007, for 8 dentoalveolar and maxillofacial cone-beam computerized tomography (CBCT) units and a 64-slice multidetector CT (MDCT) unit.Study designAverage 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.ResultsLarge-field of view (FOV) CBCT E2007 ranged from 68 to 1,073 μSv. Medium-FOV CBCT E2007 ranged from 69 to 560 μSv, whereas a similar-FOV MDCT produced 860 μSv. The E2007 calculations were 23% to 224% greater than E1990.ConclusionsThe 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.