A meeting on radiation protection in dental uses of ionizing radiation was held at the IAEA on 8-10 February 2016. Eight invited experts attended the meeting, including representatives of the World Dental Federation (FDI), the International Association of Dento-Maxillofacial Radiology (IADMFR), the International Organization for Medical Physics (IOMP), and the Alliance for Radiation Safety in Pediatric Imaging (the Image Gently Alliance). WHO submitted comments in advance. The purpose of the meeting was to review and provide feedback on the draft training material developed by the IAEA for radiation protection in dental radiology; review the content on the RPOP website related to dentistry, and advise the IAEA on the future training activities and other actions needed to promote radiation protection in dentistry.
There is a need to improve the education and maintain the competence of dentists regarding the safe use of X rays in dental practice and there is a substantial opportunity to do so. The wide spread of CBCT in recent years and its associated higher radiation risk has created momentum for this subject. There are a number of issues related to the appropriate and justified use of X rays, self-referral being one specific to dentistry. Dentists often play the role of referrer and radiological practitioner/operator, which places an even greater responsibility on dentists as compared to other health professionals. Issues like this point to the need for specific attention to be paid to radiation protection within dentistry.
The new material on Radiation protection in dental radiology is expected to make a significant change in the delivery of reliable information, in line with the latest developments in the field and international standards. The training syllabus, learning objectives, and content were agreed upon and the material was structured into 12 modules. The updated training package will be sent to experts and international organizations for their review and approval before the material is uploaded to the IAEA RPOP website. Considering the huge number of dentists using X rays worldwide who may be in need of training, e-learning material should be developed for distance learning.
The meeting advised on the need to develop a safety report on radiation protection in dental radiology to support the implementation of the appropriate and safe use of X ray imaging in dentistry. The available international guidelines are either outdated or only partly cover existing dental techniques. As such, there is a need for a publication detailing justification and appropriateness of dental radiology imaging, optimisation of radiation protection and safety for patient and staff (including equipment factors, quality assurance, dosimetry and operational considerations). This publication should also pay special attention to the protection of children and pregnant patients.
Information material intended for patients and the public need to be developed for display in the waiting rooms of dental facilities. Poster format is recommended as the first step. It should be designed to answer the main questions patients ask and balance the benefits and risks of using ionizing radiation.
The experts agreed to work on organizing joint webinars on hot topics in radiation protection in dental radiology. Joint sessions during congresses organized by professional organizations may be another good opportunity to further disseminate the information.