![]() ![]() Regarding the price difference between E- or F-speed film and D-speed film, the related costs boil down to a matter of several cents increase per film from D to F! As listed by an internet on-line vendor of dental film, a package (usually containing 100 or 150 films) of F-speed film is only $4 more than for the same package of D-speed film. E-speed or F-speed film is processed without significant changes in processing practices to those that are used for D-speed film. technical aspects of film imaging) and similar clarity of film compared to D-speed film. Using E-speed or F-speed film provides a similar mean-correct diagnosis, comparable sensitometric properties (i.e. A comparison of one manufacturer's D-speed film to E-speed or F-speed film shows no significant clinical differences in quality between the films. The limited use of E or F-speed films compared with D-speed films is often due to misconceptions about price, clinical film quality, and processing. There is a slight risk of excess cancers with today's children at greater risk. Dental procedures are repeated from childhood throughout life. As noted in the NEXT survey, 70% of dental practitioners chose D-speed film with its higher patient dose. When looking at the above results, one should ask whether there is need or cause for concern. Switching from E to F speed produced a 20-25% reduction in exposure, and switching from D to F-speed film produced a 60% reduction in exposure. Results reported in literature illustrate that switching from D to E speed produced a 30-40% reduction in exposure. Major dental film manufacturers and literature on this subject have extensively reported similar differences in exposure between film speeds. These results show a 23% reduction in exposure with the use of E-speed film over D-speed film. The types of film used by dental practices in this survey varied, with D-speed film comprising approximately 70% of the film used, E-speed film about 21%, and F-speed film about 9%.įor the 1999 Survey, the amount of radiation a person is typically subjected to for D-speed film was 1.7 milligray (mGy) (a unit of radiation exposure) per film, and 1.3 mGy for E-speed film. The greater the film speed, the lesser the exposure received by the patient. Film speed can be an important aspect in determining the amount of radiation exposure received by a patient. Like photographic film, the faster the film, the less exposure it needs. The film typically used for the intraoral bitewing exam falls into three film speed classes - D (slowest), E and F-speed (fastest). Among the findings, the survey illustrated that the majority of films taken during a routine dental intraoral examination involved either two films (32% of facilities surveyed) or four films (35% of facilities surveyed), with an overall average of close to four (3.5) films observed. Among the extensive information gathered, the survey documented the number of films taken per visit, the types of film used by dental practitioners, and measures of patient exposure. ![]() The 1999 NEXT Dental survey provided an insight into the practice of dental radiography. NEXT is a federal-state cooperative effort to document through annual surveys the state of clinical practice for selected radiographic examinations. In 1999, The Nationwide Evaluation of X-ray Trends (NEXT) program performed a survey of dental facilities performing this exam throughout the United States. This article explains how they can do it.ĭental intraoral radiography is a very common exam performed in the United States, with approximately 100 million done each year. ![]() The FDA is encouraging dental professionals to make a simple and economic switch to "faster" X-ray film to further reduce your radiation exposure. ![]()
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