8th Baltic Congress of Radiology

Radioprotection and management

oral abstract

One of the main tasks for radiographers is to use contact shielding for radiation protection of patients. This principle has been applied for around 70 years and within last 3 years changes on use of contact shielding occurred in certain countries. The role of contact shielding in radiography, including dental radiography, and patients’ perception will be discussed.

The literature analysis and the questionnaire about patients’ perceptions on radiation protection in dentistry will be applied.

Institutions/societies in radiology and radiography have agreed on general principles about the use of contact shielding in radiography. The practical implementation depends on the local legislation and guidelines from professional societies. Almost 1/5 of respondents (19%) noted that contact shielding was not used during the dental x-ray examination.

The results of the questionnaire show that patients lack sufficient understanding of the doses of ionizing radiation and the need for x-ray examinations in dentistry. There is a need for local guidelines, if a shift in contact shielding paradigm is used, regarding information for patients.

One of the main tasks for radiographers is to use contact shielding for radiation protection of patients. This principle has been applied for around 70 years and within last 3 years changes on use of contact shielding occurred in certain countries. The role of contact shielding in radiography, including dental radiography, and patients’ perception will be discussed. The authors will discuss the role of radiographers in providing information to patients.

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