Assessment of radiation exposure in dental cone-beam computerized tomography with the use of metal-oxide semiconductor field-effect transistor (MOSFET) dosimeters and Monte Carlo simulations

Objectives. The aims of this study were to assess the organ and effective dose (International Commission on Radiological Protection (ICRP) 103) resulting from dental cone-beam computerized tomography (CBCT) imaging using a novel metal-oxide semiconductor field-effect transistor (MOSFET) dosimeter device, and to assess the reliability of the MOSFET measurements by comparing the results with Monte Carlo PCXMC simulations. Study Design. Organ dose measurements were performed using 20 MOSFET dosimeters that were embedded in the 8 most radiosensitive organs in the maxillofacial and neck area. The dose-area product (DAP) values attained from CBCT scans were used for PCXMC simulations. The acquired MOSFET doses were then compared with the Monte Carlo simulations. Results. The effective dose measurements using MOSFET dosimeters yielded, using 0.5-cm steps, a value of 153 mu Sv and the PCXMC simulations resulted in a value of 136 mu Sv. Conclusions. The MOSFET dosimeters placed in a head phantom gave results similar to Monte Carlo simulations. Minor vertical changes in the positioning of the phantom had a substantial affect on the overall effective dose. Therefore, the MOSFET dosimeters constitute a feasible method for dose assessment of CBCT units in the maxillofacial region. (Oral Surg Oral Med Oral Pathol Oral Radiol 2012;114:393-400)