Financial efficiency estimation for a dental radiology laboratory.

BACKGROUND AND AIMS: Considering nowadays trend among dentists to install a radiology laboratory beside their current practice, we proposed to investigate the aspect of financial efficiency related to such investment. METHODS: We evaluate two existing options: simple investment, consisting of intra-oral equipment and accessories, or investment in a radiology center that includes panoramic and CBCT equipment. The initial investment includes equipment acquisition, fitting out of the location, radiology accreditation and other miscellaneous expenses. Costs were estimated based on current quotations on the specific market available in Romania. We also described a financial model to estimate the financial risk. RESULTS: The analysis was made under the assumptions that the laboratory is operated by the dentist who made the investment in the form of a legal person and paying corporate tax like all Romanian entities. The analysis took into account current fees for different types of X-rays, usual expenses of such a laboratory, and describes the approach to this analysis, starting with the initial investment estimation and forecast of revenues and expenses. Based on these projections and assessment of the working capital, we have built the cash flows forecast. Following a risk analysis we could assess the financial efficiency of the two investment alternatives. CONCLUSIONS: Our study reveals that the radiology center represents a more profitable investment due to the higher economic return rate.

Irradiation provided by dental radiological procedures in a pediatric population.

BACKGROUND: Children are more sensitive to ionizing radiation effects due to their high radiosensitivity. PURPOSE: To estimate doses and risks for dental radiological examinations in children. MATERIAL AND METHODS: A pediatric population consisting of 7150 children and young adults which underwent 12252 dental radiological examinations (4220 intraoral, 1324 cephalometric, 5284 panoramic radiographs and 1424 CBCTs) within two years were included. Two groups were studied: CBCT group (exposed to CBCT ±â€¯conventional radiographs) and 2D group (exposed only to 2D radiological examinations). The effective doses were corrected according to age at exposure and settings parameters (mA;FOV) by using logarithmic fit equations for dose interpolation. The individual cumulative dose, per-caput collective dose and radiation risk were calculated for each group. RESULTS: The median effective and cumulative doses for conventional radiographs were lower than 20 µSv and did not vary with age. Children exposed to CBCT had a higher median effective dose (127.2 µSv) and cumulative dose (156.5 µSv) with a significant increased cumulative dose between 11 and 14 years. The CBCT contributed with 70% to the collective dose and per caput collective dose was 184 µSv for CBCT exposures. The Life Attributable Risk (LAR) and Relative Radiation Level (RRL) were significantly higher for children exposed to CBCT under the age of 18. The highest radiation dose for CBCT was equivalent with 34.1 days of natural background radiation and it was found for ages between 11 and 15. CONCLUSION: The CBCT doses and radiation risk vary but remain in the lower levels of the relative risk of medical exposures.

Estimation of the radiation dose for pediatric CBCT indications: a prospective study on ProMax3D.

BACKGROUND: An increasing number of CBCT units and a wide variability of radiation doses have been reported in dentistry lately. AIM: To estimate the effective, cumulative, and organ absorbed doses in children exposed to CBCT over 2 years. DESIGN: A prospective study was conducted in children who underwent CBCT diagnostic imaging with the ProMax3D machine. Organ and effective doses were calculated by Monte Carlo simulation using 5- and 8-year-old pediatric voxel phantoms. Extrapolation procedures were applied to estimate doses for other ages and CBCT protocols used in clinical conditions. RESULTS: The median effective dose was 137.9 µSv, and the median cumulative dose was 231.4 µSv. Statistically significant differences in the effective doses and cumulative doses were found for various indications of CBCT in children (P < 0.001). The median absorbed organ dose for brain and thyroid was significantly higher for the clinical condition that required large FOVs (2.5 mGy and 1.05 mGy, respectively) compared to medium (0.19 and 0.51 mGy) and small FOVs (0.07 and 0.24 mGy; P < 0.05). The radiation dose of salivary glands did not vary significantly with FOV. CONCLUSION: The results revealed the variation of CBCT doses and the influence of FOV size in pediatric exposure.