Comparison of Common Maxillofacial Radiographic Effective Doses

When speaking to patients who are apprehensive about their radiographic examination, it is often useful to speak in terms that may be more relatable – i.e., converting radiation effective doses from “Microsieverts” to the “risk equivalent to the number of days of background radiation normally exposed to in day-to-day life”

  • Note 1: Typical background radiation is approximately 8.5 µSv/day (3,100 Sv/year)
  • Note 2: For Intraoral exams, the following terminology is used
    • Collimator shape: Rectangular vs. Round