Questionnaire survey on the use of dental X-ray film and equipment among general practitioners in the Swedish Public Dental Health Service.

A questionnaire was sent to all clinics in the Public Dental Health Service in Orebro County in 1989 and 1993. The survey comprised questions about X-ray film and developing technique. The questionnaire of 1993 was accompanied by questions on the type of dental X-ray film and collimator each dentist used, altogether 175 dentists. The results showed that Kodak Ektaspeed dental X-ray film was used by 53% of the dentists in 1993. The mean number of months to the expiry date for all film packages irrespective of film type increased from a mean of 7.5 months to a mean of 13 months from 1989 to 1993. Only 11% of the Ektaspeed film packages in 1989 had a base plus fog < or = 0.25, whereas the figure in 1993 was 30%. Rectangular collimation adjusted to the size-2 film (31 mm x 41 mm) was used by 36% of the dentists in 1993. In 1993, 88% of the clinics used automatic processing, and in 85% of the clinics both automatic and manual processing was used. The processing time and temperature varied greatly for both automatic and manual processing. The results indicate that film and developing procedures in Swedish general dental practice are not always in accordance with the recommendations and guidelines of the Swedish National Radiation Protection Institute (SSI) and that attempts should be made to improve dentists' behavior with regard to radiation safety. A major dose reduction would be achievable without jeopardizing diagnosis if the regulations of the SSI were followed by using the fastest available film and optimum developing procedures.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)