Work

Radiation dose and risk assessment in pediatric dental CBCT: DAP-based evaluation and implications for radiation protection

Year: 2026

Type: article

Abstract: Pediatric patients are more sensitive to ionising radiation, making radiation protection a critical concern in dental cone-beam computed tomography (CBCT). This study aimed to assess organ and effective doses and associated radiation risk in pediatric imaging, to validate the PCXMC-20Rotation Monte Carlo code against optically stimulated luminescence dosimeters (OSLDs), and to evaluate dose-area product (DAP) as an indicator for effective dose ( E ) and risk of exposure-induced cancer death (REID). Age-specific 5 and 10 year-old head-and-neck phantoms were manufactured by three-dimensional (3D) printing and embedded with seventeen OSLDs each. The phantoms were scanned on a CS 9000 system in panoramic mode at both ages and in 3D maxillary and mandibular CBCT mode at 10 years. DAP was recorded with a VacuDAP metre and used in PCXMC-20Rotation to calculate organ doses, E , and REID. In panoramic mode, differences in E between PCXMC and OSLD were −4.7% (5 year) and −10.7% (10 year), and organ dose rankings were generally similar. PCXMC overestimated oral mucosa dose in 3D mandibular imaging, where total E was approximately 3–5 times higher than in panoramic mode. DAP correlated strongly with E ( R 2 = 0.971–0.987) and with REID ( R 2 = 0.967–0.986); the highest REID (8.1 × 10 −6 ) was predicted for 10 year-old girls undergoing 3D mandibular CBCT. PCXMC estimated E within ±15% of OSLD measurements for both panoramic and 3D modes. DAP may serve as a practical indicator of E and REID in pediatric CBCT. From a radiation protection perspective, the findings support the use of child-specific exposure settings and DAP monitoring as approaches to minimise unnecessary radiation exposure, particularly in female pediatric patients.

Source: Journal of Radiological Protection

DOI: 10.1088/1361-6498/ae9ed0

Authors: Jia-Hao Zhou, Shih-Ming Hsu, Chun-Yen Chien, Chin-Hui Wu

Institutions: Tzu Chi University, Taipei Tzu Chi Hospital, National Yang Ming Chiao Tung University, China Medical University Hospital, China Medical University

Language: English

Topic: Dental Radiography and Imaging

Subfield: Oral Surgery

Field: Dentistry

Domain: Health Sciences

SDG: Good health and well-being

Open Access status: hybrid

Estimated APC paid: $3,325