Radiation absorbed doses at radiographic examination of third molars.

The radiation absorbed doses to critical organs, i.e. the thyroid and salivary glands and the gonadal region, were measured at radiographic examination of third molars. A tissue equivalent phantom was used together with ionization chamber detectors and TLDs. In the maxilla three, and in the mandible four different projections were used; also an extraoral lateral view. The greatest thyroid dose, 35 muGy, came from a mandibular disto-oblique projection with the circular tube collimator and Ultra-Speed film. the thyroid dose from an extraoral lateral view with high sensitivity screens was 3.7 muGy. The doses in different parts of the parotid gland from the disto-oblique mandibular projection with Ultra-Speed film ranged between 2.65 and 0.052 mGy. The corresponding doses in the submandibular gland were 1.74 mGy beneath the mandible and 0.458 mGy in the fovea. A rectangular tube collimator reduced the doses by approximately 50%. the Ekta-Speed film required approximately 40% lower exposure than the Ultra-Speed film. Without shielding the gonadal doses from a complete examination of four third molars were of the same order of magnitude as from a full survey with intraoral films, i.e. 3-7 muGy. A horizontal radiation shield reduced the thyroid doses by between 12 and 46% and the gonadal doses by between 50 and 95%. The reduction effect from the shield was relatively greater when using the larger aperture of the tube collimator. Combinations of leaded aprons and soft leaded collars reduced the thyroid doses by between 15 and 42% and the gonadal doses by two orders of magnitude.