Trends in dental radiography and effective radiation doses in pediatric and adolescent patients: a five-year study

Objectives: This study evaluated trends in dental radiographic examinations and corresponding effective radiation doses among pediatric and adolescent patients who attended the Department of Pediatric Dentistry at OO University Dental Hospital between 2020 and 2024.Methods: Data from 10,815 patients were retrospectively collected to assess radiation exposure by age, year of examination, radiograph type, and imaging frequency.Five types of dental radiographs were examined: periapical and bitewing, panoramic, cone-beam computed tomography, cephalometric, and hand-wrist images.The annual average effective dose was calculated using national standard values.Spearman's rank correlation was used to assess the associations between radiation dose, patient age, year of examination, and imaging frequency.Results: Periapical and bitewing radiographs accounted for 88.66% of all images, whereas panoramic radiographs were associated with the highest radiation dose contribution.Over 90% of patients received doses below 0.1 mSv; however, a yearly increase in patients receiving doses exceeding the 2023 national dental average was observed.Imaging frequency was strongly correlated with the effective dose (r=0.658),whereas age and year of examination exhibited weak correlations.Conclusions: Although dental radiographs accounted for a small proportion of the total medical radiation dose, the effective dose in pediatric and adolescent patients steadily increased over the five-year study period.These findings underscore the importance of judicious prescription of dental radiographs and rigorous management of radiation dose.Continuous monitoring, adherence to evidence-based guidelines, and the development of a national radiation surveillance infrastructure are essential to ensure the safe and responsible use of radiography in pediatric dentistry.