Estimation Of Entrance Surface Dose Of Patients In Intraoral Dental Radiography At Mcdan Dental Clinic, Ado-Ekiti, Ekiti State, Nigeria

Abstract

The safe and effective use of radiography depends on optimizing radiation exposure to achieve diagnostic image quality while minimizing patient dose. Inadequate exposure may compromise image quality and diagnostic accuracy, whereas excessive exposure unnecessarily increases radiation risk. Entrance Surface Dose (ESD) and Diagnostic Reference Levels (DRLs) are key indicators for evaluating and optimizing patient radiation exposure. In intraoral dental radiography, ESD is particularly important because radiosensitive organs, such as the thyroid and salivary glands, are located close to the X-ray beam. Although pioneering Nigerian studies have reported radiation doses to selected organs, comprehensive evaluations of patient ESD during intraoral dental radiography remain limited. This highlights the need for routine patient dose audits in Nigerian dental clinics, supported by the integration of Radiation and Medical Physicists to strengthen dose optimization, quality assurance, and radiation protection. This study aims to estimate the doses delivered to patients during Intraoral dental radiography at McDan Dental Clinic, Ado-Ekiti, Ekiti state, Nigeria and employed a clinic-based prospective cross-sectional observational design. The data were collected on 46 patients using Ai Ray Digital Dental X-ray machine including their socio-demographic data (sex, age, location). The general ESDs were calculated using Davies model via exposure parameters (kVp, mAs, FFD) and mean value obtained was 1.75±0.17 mGy; found to be within the internationally recommended diagnostic reference range of 1-3 mGy according to IAEA and also when compared to similar studies in Africa and other continents. This reinforces the importance of maintaining strict optimization in radiographic practices to avoid unnecessary patient exposure.