Radiation Protection In Dental Practice

This code has been prepared to provide specific guidance to the dentist, dental hygienist, dental assistant, and other support persons concerned with safety procedures & equipment performance, on the requirements for safe use of radiation emitting equipment. Topics covered include the responsibility of the facility owner & equipment operators, dental facility requirements (design, radiation protection, inspection), specifications for newly acquired & existing dental x-ray equipment, film processing & handling, quality assurance & control, procedures to reduce radiation exposure to personnel, and minimizing radiation exposure to patients. Appendices include tables showing recommended radiation dose limits and specifications for shielding, a glossary, and excerpts from regulations concerning radiation emitting devices.

X ray imaging is used extensively in dentistry to diagnose symptoms, plan and monitor treatments and to follow up pathoses. This Safety Report provides guidance on meeting the requirements for radiation protection and safety in uses of ionizing radiation in dentistry established in IAEA Safety Standards Series No. GSR Part 3, Radiation Protection and Safety of Radiation Sources: International Basic Safety Standards. It includes guidelines for the justification and appropriateness of medical exposure, and the optimization of radiation protection and safety for patients, carers and dental staff, with detail on considerations relevant for children and pregnant women. Quality assurance, dosimetry and the operation of dental radiological equipment are also discussed. This publication is intended for dental practitioners, referring medical practitioners, medical radiation technologists and other dental health professionals, as well as medical physicists, radiation protection experts, manufacturers and regulators.

"The purpose of this Report is to enhance radiation safety in dentistry and to reinforce published, well-known dose-reduction methods that are not yet being widely applied in the day-to-day practice of dentistry. The technological advances since NCRP Report No. 145 require changing attitudes and practices of dentists because opportunities are now available for decreasing radiation doses while maintaining or improving diagnostic efficacy. This Report updates the information in NCRP Report No.145, adds new content on digital imaging, handheld x-ray devices, and CBCT, and makes recommendations for reducing patient radiation doses while maintaining or improving image quality, all in the context of the ALARA principle"--

" ... This report is concerned with both the design and operational aspects of dental x-ray equipment, and matters relating to structural shielding design."--Preface, page iii.