Evaluation of the Observance of Radiation Protection Principles in Dentistry Centers in Kermanshah province (West Iran)

Introduction: Radiography plays an important role in the diagnosis of oral and dental disease and one of the most common diagnostic procedures in dentistry. Recent reports have raised concern about the increased use of ionizing radiation in dental imaging and the possibility of cancers. The effective dose of some dental radiographic examinations is high enough, so appropriate protective measures should be taken to reduce the dose of the patient. This study was designed to investigate the principles of radiation protection in dentistry centers. Materials and Methods: This cross-sectional study was design to assess level of radiation protection principles in dentistry centers. The radiology departments of 74 dentistry centers volunteers participated in this study. The data collection tool was a checklist that based on principles of radiation protection, which was used after verifying its content validity. Data were analyzed by SPSS 18 and the results were  presented using descriptive statistics including mean and variance for quantitative and frequency variables and percentage for qualitative variables. Results: Based on the findings of this study, 75.7% of the centers were equipped with an intra-oral radiography. Despite observance principles of radiation protection for patient at dentistry center were in appropriate level (97. 3%), the observance of the protective principles was not adequate for the skilled workers in any center. Also, automatic processor for film processing wasn’t used at any of the centers and there was no systematic quality control program for radiographic devices. The most commonly used protective measure was the observance of a minimum distance of 2 meters from the patient (97.3%) during radiation. and the minimum protective measures, the use of high-speed film (1/4%), respectively. Conclusion: According to results in this study, the knowledge and practice of radiation protection are not satisfactory. Therefore, organizing retraining programs, equipped x-ray rooms with protection devices, Periodic monitoring of fully observance of safety regulations in these centers are recommended