Radiation dose

One of the most important innovations in dento-alveolar diagnostics has been the advent of 3D cone beam computed tomography (CBCT), which has proven effective for a number of applications in oral healthcare. With more affordable systems being introduced into the market, practitioners are investing in their own systems thereby gaining immediate access to accurate 3D images of anatomical structures, enabling more precise diagnoses and treatment planning.

However the rapid growth in the install base of dental CBCT systems has given rise to concern about the level of radiation dose used by these systems and therefore the justification in their use.

Carestream Dental (manufacturer of Kodak Dental Products) has always maintained that use of ionizing radiation should conform to the principle of 'as low as reasonably achievable', and that every precaution should be taken to minimize radiation exposure.

Nigel Rosenbaum, principal of Peak Implant Clinic in Matlock, Derbyshire and clinical teacher in implant dentistry at Sheffield University, is a specialist in prosthodontics with over 10 years' experience in implantology. Until recently, when necessary to acquire a 3D view, he would refer his patients to one of the local medical centres for a CT scan. However this was never totally satisfactory for a number of reasons, as he explains: 'As the dose from a medical CT scan is relatively high I considered very few cases were justifiable.'