Age-Specific Radiation Dose Distributions in Pediatric Intraoral Radiography: A Monte Carlo Analysis Across Developmental Stages.

Purpose: This study quantified age-specific differences in organ and effective doses during intraoral radiography in pediatric patients, with emphasis on identifying developmental stages associated with increased radiation exposure to critical organs.

Methods

Monte Carlo simulations were performed using PCXMC 2.0 software for 3 pediatric age groups (5, 10, and 15 years), representing key developmental stages. Simulated full-mouth intraoral radiographic series used 4 exposure combinations: 60 kilovolt peak (kVp)/3 milliampere (mA), 60 kVp/6 mA, 70 kVp/3 mA, and 70 kVp/6 mA. Organ dose distributions and total effective doses were calculated according to the 2007 recommendations of the International Commission on Radiological Protection. One-way analysis of variance with post hoc tests assessed differences between groups.

Results

Clear age-dependent variations in organ and effective radiation doses were observed. The 5-year-old group showed the highest effective doses (62.4 to 129.6 microsieverts [μSv]), despite fewer exposures. The 10-year-olds had the lowest doses (37.2 to 76.8 μSv). Thyroid doses in 5-year-olds were 3.2 times higher than in older groups (P<0.001), due to anatomical proximity. Bone surface doses were similar in 5 and 15-year-olds but lower in 10-year-olds. These trends persisted across exposure combinations, though optimized settings (60 kVp/3 mA) reduced doses by over 50%.

Conclusions

Age significantly influences radiation dose in pediatric dental imaging, with 5-year-olds receiving higher organ doses, especially to the thyroid. These findings stress the importance of age-specific protection strategies beyond adjusting exposure settings, emphasizing the developmental stage in radiation safety.