In order to address the most common question asked of us by dental professionals:  “What is the risk to our patients associated with taking dental X-Rays?” our engineering team has been quietly working behind the scenes to answer this question in a quantitative way.

This has been a collaborate effort.  As leaders, we worked with software development people in B.C., equipment manufacturers in Sweden, the Radiation Protection Division of the B.C. Center for Disease Control, Work Safe B.C., the British Columbia Dental Association, the Canadian Dental Association and Health Canada to bring this project to fruition.

For the first time ever, dental professionals in British Columbia and elsewhere will have access to meaningful, accurate, quantified and reproducible radiation data from their X-ray machines. This will allow dentists the opportunity to prescribe radiographic examinations with vastly improved knowledge of the risks and benefits associated with their work.

With the introduction of Digital Imaging Systems, Cone Beam Computed Tomography, High Frequency Direct Current X-ray beams, and Ultra-Sensitive X-Ray Film into the realm of Dental Radiography, dentists now need a way of easily determining which battery of X-ray tests best serves their patients with the least amount of risk.

The new testing protocols accurately relate the relative risk associated with the many types of dental X-Ray examinations.

At IBE, we have brought together a multitude of advanced technologies that allow us to quickly and accurately measure the performance of X-Ray systems that meets with the requirements of developing International Standards.

Over the next few years, every Dental X-Ray machine operating in British Columbia will be surveyed to establish a database of relative risk analysis in Dental Radiography.  It is intended that the preliminary findings of this program will be presented at the 2013 or 2014 Pacific Dental Conference in Vancouver.

You will be purchasing a considerable amount of computer hardware, depending on the size of your practice and wht services you wish to offer. The simplest system consists of a laptop, sensor and some imaging software. A few thousand dollars will do the job and the result will be a simple and effective system for a sole practitioner. A multi operatory practice will require a central computer system, extra storage, multiple monitors, wiring, multiple sensors, a significant investment of staff time both in training and Quality Assurance, maintenance agreements for software, hardware and possibly firmware, PLUS a lot of money. Six figure installations are not that uncommon, and that’s just for starters.

Consider that about half the practices in British Columbia now use digital imaging in its’ various configurations. Consider also that most recent graduates have never examined a film-based radiographic image and it’s easy to see where this technology is going.

Here are some things to think about:

• You will be storing a lot of patient data. It must be secure and backed up off-site.
• You should purchase software from a vendor that is going to be around for a while to support it and provide free updates. All software is in a continual state of evolution.
• Choose software that allows for you to assess image quality.
• Your system will require maintenance and there are a limited number of competent people available who can do the work and understand your requirements. Choose these carefully.
• Make sure that the software you purchase is compatible with your hardware. There are many subtle pitfalls here.
• Consider carefully what you will do when the system fails. It will fail on occasion.
• Look carefully at the two popular systems, known as CR and DR. While one is less expensive than the other, maintenance is an issue that can eat up the difference.
• Consider the fact that you will be called upon to share images with others. This subject is ‘hot’ and present and is a sleeper. Many of the ad hoc methods that are currently in use are going to be subject to scrutiny by the political and legal community as soon as the inevitable event occurs.
• Patient dose: D speed film requires about 300 mR at 70 kv to provide an acceptable BW image. F speed (Insite by Kodak) requires about 120. DR imaging appears to need around 80-90 and CR patient dose is almost identical to that of F speed film. These results are based on about 7000 tests and 35,000 exposures undertaken in dental practices.

Dental imaging is here to stay and will become the modality of choice by dentists.

Dan Hanson, P.Eng

Chief Inspector, Innovative Biomedical Engineering

Read their announcement in full HERE.