• The Journal of the Korean dental association
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• v.55 no.8
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• pp.516-526
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• 2017

Objective: To suggest diagnostic reference levels (DRLs) for dental panoramic radiography in adults and children through the nationwide survey in Korea. Materials and Methods: Two hundred twelve dental institutions on a national basis were visited. The radiographic examination protocols were surveyed and their patient doses at the clinical exposure setting for adult and children (5- and 10-year old) were measured at 244 panoramic radiographic equipment. The measured DAP were analyzed and compared according to age group, the size of hospital, the type of radiographic system, the installation duration of equipment. Results: The mean exposure parameters were 70.1 kV, 9.2 mA, 14.4 second for adult and 66.6 kV, 7.9 mA, 13.8 second for 10-year old child and 65.5 kV, 7.3 mA, 13.7 second for 5-year old child. The mean and third quartile patient DAPs were $138.3mGy\;cm^2$ and $151.0mGy\;cm^2$ for adult, $99.5mGy\;cm^2$ and $104.8mGy\;cm^2$ for 10-year old child and $89.5mGy\;cm^2$ and $95.5mGy\;cm^2$ for 5-year old child. The mean patient dose at the university dental hospital was lower than that at the dental clinic (p<0.05). The mean patient dose of direct digital radiography type was higher than that of film-based type. However, the difference did not show statistically significance. Conclusion: DRLs for dental panoramic radiography in adult, 10- and 5-year old child were suggested to be $151mGy\;cm^2$, $105mGy\;cm^2$, and $96mGy\;cm^2$ in Korea based on this nationwide survey.