An investigation of potential applications of intensifying screens in intraoral radiography.

In medicine, the somewhat degraded image from the screen/film system is accepted for most diagnostic purposes in the interest of radiation thrift. In dentistry, however, the superb image resolution and sharpness of the radiation-intensive, direct-exposure film is the standard for intraoral radiography. There may be occasions in dental practice where such quality is not necessary, thus making the high level of exposure difficult to justify. In a laboratory study, screen-type radiographs were effectively substituted for ultraspeed film in the monitoring stages of endodontic therapy and as posttreatment films in operative dentistry. Even with a slow system, the radiation exposure was one sixteenth of the usual periapical dose. If clinical trials support these conclusions, only the lack of a practical periapical cassette limits the application of this significant method of radiation reduction to dental practice.