Red bone marrow doses, integral absorbed doses, and somatically effective dose equivalent from four maxillary occlusal projections.

Phantom measurements of red bone marrow (RBM) doses, integral absorbed doses, and somatically effective dose equivalent (SEDE) from four different maxillary occlusal projections are presented. For each projection, different combinations of focus-skin distances and tube potentials were compared with regard to the patient's radiation load. The axial incisal view produced the highest patient exposures, with a maximum red bone marrow dose of 122.5 microGy/exposure, integral absorbed dose of 8.6 mJ/exposure, and SEDE values of 39.6 microSv/exposure. The corresponding values from the frontal, lateral occlusal, and tuber views ranged between 4% and 44% of the axial incisal view values for the integral absorbed dose and SEDE values, and between 0.3% and 3% for the red bone marrow doses. Increasing the focus-skin distance from 17.5 cm to 27 cm is accompanied by a 24% to 30% reduction in integral absorbed dose. Increasing the tube potential from 50 kV to 65 kV likewise results in a 23% reduction in absorbed energy.