Dental radiographic X-ray imaging: dose to patients

AI Summary

Public Health England (PHE) conducted a comprehensive review of dental X-ray patient dose data collected between 2014 and 2017. This review encompasses various imaging modalities, including intra-oral, panoramic, cephalometric, and cone beam CT (CBCT). The primary objective of this assessment is to evaluate the adequacy of the current UK National Diagnostic Reference Levels (NDRLs), which were last established in 2010 based on data from radiographic and fluoroscopic procedures. The core issue addressed by this report is the potential obsolescence of previous safety benchmarks. Since dental imaging technology and clinical practices evolve, regular reviews are essential to ensure that patient radiation exposure remains as low as reasonably achievable. Under the existing regulatory framework for radiation protection in the UK, NDRLs serve as a guide for identifying facilities where patient doses are unusually high. The required actions involve a formal comparison of the 2014-2017 findings against the 2010 benchmarks. Based on this analysis, the agency will either confirm the suitability of existing NDRLs or establish new, updated values to safeguard public health and ensure dental practices across the UK adhere to standardized safety thresholds.