The use of protection measures in dento-maxillofacial radiology in Europe: a survey among experts.

Patient contact shielding to reduce radiation exposure to radiosensitive organs of patients is known to be used inconsistently in the field of dento-maxillofacial radiology (DMFR). There is an ongoing discussion if its use is still justified with regard to recent technical enhancements in the field. Thus, the aim of this study was to investigate the recommended and applied safety standards regarding dose protection measures in dental radiology within European countries. With an online questionnaire the use of safety measures, especially lead protection and collimation, in different patient groups (adults, children, pregnant women) was interrogated including leading experts in the field of DMFR. Among the 24 participants from 13 different countries, there was a tendency towards lead protection for intraoral radiography and towards collimation for extraoral radiography. Participants based their decision mainly on law and societal guidelines. Overall, the application of radiation protection measures varies within Europe. It seems safe to say that lead protection as a measure of radiation dose limitation is still recommendable even though collimation and technical advancements have led to great dose reductions. Collimation should be used more broadly and a standardization of protection measures and an update of radiation protection guidelines in Europe is desirable.