Dental dose and image quality surveys using optically stimulated luminescence

Abstract

The correlation of x-ray beam quality at typical energies used for dental radiography with dosimeter response was studied. Landauer Luxel ™ Optically Stimulated Luminescence (OSL) dosimeters were analyzed for the dose response with respect to the built-in variety of filters in each badge. Trends found in dosimeter response were compared to beam quality measurements through use of a spherical, air ionization chamber and added aluminum filtration to harden the beam. Additionally, a series of image quality analyses were performed to determine if the exposures were performed at optimal settings for easy reading by the dentist. Through the use of a survey in which the dental office sends in the x-ray film to Landauer for analysis, these factors can be determined using calibration curves determined from collected data for correction.