Background: In recent decades many guidelines
has been conducted by radiation protection organizations
about radiation protection in dentistry. This
study aimed to evaluate the observance of these
guidelines in educational clinics of all dental schools
in Iran. Material and Methods: In this cross-sectional
study a self-administered questionnaire, based on
National Radiation Protection Board (NRPB) and
European Commission guidelines, was conducted.
The radiology departments of all dental school (18
schools) were surveyed in this study. The questionnaire
was consisted of 3 sections including intraoral
radiography, extraoral radiography and implementation
of quality control programs. Results: In the case
of the existence of radiation protection facilities (such
as lead apron, thyroid shield and lead impacted walls)
the use of high speed films and existence of automatic
processor in dental schools, there was a proper
condition. The main problem was related to lack of
regular quality control and quality assurance
programs. Digital radiography systems were
employed in none of the schools and it was occasionally
used for research purposes at some of them.
Conclusions: This study has emphasized on the need
for further consideration of radiation protection
principles in dental schools, especially on the field of
quality control and quality assurance programs. Iran.
J. Radiat. Res., 2010 8 (1): 51-57
Eskandarlou A, Ghazi-Khanlou Sani K, Mehdizadeh A. Radiation protection principles observance in Iranian dental schools. Int J Radiat Res 2010; 8 (1) :51-57 URL: http://ijrr.com/article-1-610-en.html