Dose Comparisons

The radiation doses associated with radiographic imaging examinations in dental practice are typically low-dose intraoral and panoramic procedures.³ Exposure from diagnostic imaging is often compared to environmental exposure from naturally occurring radiation and other artificial sources such as consumer products. Collectively these natural and artificial sources are described as background radiation. A typical four-image bitewing survey using PSP receptors and rectangular collimation is equivalent to approximately a half day of background radiation.^5,17 By comparison, a CCD panoramic survey is equivalent to approximately one to three day(s) of background radiation depending on the machine and background radiation standards.^5,18 The guiding principle is adherence to selection criteria and ensuring that any necessary radiographic examination is obtained at a dose level that is as low as reasonably achievable (ALARA).¹⁹