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Advancing dental safety: New standards for intraoral diagnostic reference levels in Cyprus

Published 19 September 2024. Figures and rankings are as they stood then.

Advancing dental safety: New standards for intraoral diagnostic reference levels in Cyprus

19 September 2024

At the 5th European Congress of Medical Physics (ECMP 2024) in Munich, Germany, Assistant Professor of Medical Physics Anastasia Hadjiconstanti introduced the study titled ‘Establishment of National Intraoral Diagnostic Reference Levels (DRLs) in Cyprus’. This work was conducted in collaboration with Ms Anna Valianti, Dr Constantinos Koshiaris, and Dr Constantinos Zervides.

Intraoral radiography (IOR) is a dental imaging technique that uses x-rays to diagnose dental conditions. The study focused on establishing DRLs, which are important for optimising radiation doses, ensuring patient safety, and improving dental care quality. The research analysed radiation doses from 115 intraoral units across 87 private centres in Cyprus, collecting data from both adult and paediatric patients, using different detector types, including digital detectors and film. The results revealed variations in radiation doses. Notably, the proposed DRLs for Cyprus were lower than the current valid DRLs, emphasising the need for re-establishment.

This research marks a step towards enhancing patient safety and the quality of dental care in Cyprus by reducing unnecessary radiation exposure.