Operational Insights of the Scan Center at Kyushu Dental University Hospital: Evolving Trends in Health Imaging Information Requests and Utilization

This study aimed to understand the provision of dental images at a newly established scan center of Kyushu Dental University Hospital, covering from April 2017 to the end of March 2023.Data analysis with Qlik Sense and statistical methods in Python revealed applications rising from about 400 in 2017 to over 1000 in 2021 and 2023.The most frequent purpose was providing information to other medical and dental institutions; however, requests for certified dentists and educational use increased markedly, alongside gradual growth in disclosure requests and second opinions.By department, oral surgery and oral medicine consistently showed high numbers, whereas oral implantology, and orthodontics expanded significantly after 2021.In terms of image types, although CT and panoramic imaging predominate, dental x-ray and MRI use also rose.As a singlefacility retrospective study, potential bias from application form content or staff input cannot be ruled out.Nevertheless, these findings provide valuable baseline data for enhancing J. Kyushu Dent.Soc.79 (1) OA00005, 2025 2/10operational systems and promoting the use of imaging information.Moreover, with shifts in educational curricula and expanding regional medical and dental collaboration, demand for such information is expected to keep growing, highlighting the need for further system improvements.Finally, these results may contribute to higher-quality dental care and a safer information-sharing framework.