Skin entrance dose for digital and film radiography in Korean dental schools

Purpose: This study was aimed to compare skin entrance dose of digital radiography with that of film radiography and to show the dose reduction achievement with digital systems at 11 dental schools in Korea. Materials and Methods: Forty six intraoral radiographic systems in 11 dental schools were included in this study. Digital sensors were used in 33 systems and film was used in 13 systems. Researchers and the volunteer visited 11 dental schools in Korea. Researchers asked the radiologic technician (s) at each school to set the exposure parameters and aiming the x-ray tube for the periapical view of the mandibular molar of the volunteer. The skin entrance doses were measured at the same exposure parameters and distance by the technician for each system with a dosimeter (Multi-O-Meter : Unfors instruments, Billdal, Sweden). Results: The median dose was $491.2{\mu}Gy$ for digital radiography and $1,205.0{\mu}Gy$ for film radiography. The skin entrance dose in digital radiography was significantly lower than that of film radiography (p<0.05). Conclusion: Fifty-nine percent skin entrance dose reduction with digital periapical radiography was achieved over the film radiography in Korean dental schools.