A European consortium has developed comprehensive guidelines for the appropriate use of cone-beam CT (CBCT) in dentistry, including referral criteria, radiation protection of patients and staff, training, and quality assurance procedures.
The guidelines, "Radiation Protection: Cone Beam CT for Dental and Maxillofacial Radiology -- Evidence-based guidelines," are relevant to all groups working with dental CBCT, including dentists, dental radiologists, medical physicists, and equipment manufacturers, according to SEDENTEXCT, the multidisciplinary team that developed it.
SEDENTEXCT was a collaborative effort that aimed to acquire key information necessary for sound and scientifically based clinical use of CBCT in dental and maxillofacial imaging.
"One objective of the SEDENTEXCT project has been to review the current literature on CBCT and to derive useful guidelines that will clarify those clinical situations in which this imaging technique would be found to be beneficial to both the clinician and the patient," wrote Vivian Rushton, a senior lecturer in dental and maxillofacial radiology at the University of Manchester and Guideline Development Panel lead, in the report's introduction.
Given the proliferation in dental cone-beam CT equipment manufacturers and models, "research evidence for one CBCT machine may not apply to other equipment," she noted. "As a consequence, caution is needed in generalizing research findings."
The project was supported by the Seventh Framework Programme of the European Atomic Energy Community (Euratom) for nuclear research and training activities (2007 to 2011), the contributions of the European Academy of Dentomaxillofacial Radiology, and other stakeholders.
