Skip to main content

Advertisement

SpringerLink
Log in

Influence of cone-beam computed tomography milliamperage settings on image quality of the mandibular third molar region

  • Original Article
  • Published:
Oral Radiology Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Objective

To assess the image quality of the mandibular third molar region using different milliamperage (mA) settings of cone-beam computed tomography.

Methods

Twelve dry mandibles with impacted third molars were scanned with a Kodak 9000 unit (Kodak Dental Systems, Carestream Health, Rochester, NY, USA) using different mA settings (2, 4, 6.3, 8, 10, 12, and 15 mA). Two oral radiologists evaluated the images. They classified the tooth root, periodontal space, lamina dura, trabecular bone, mandibular canal, and overall image quality as excellent, good, poor, or inadequate for diagnosis. Statistical analyses were performed by one-way ANOVA with a post hoc Tukey test to investigate the influence of the mA settings in the image quality of the structures analyzed. The significance level was set at 5 %.

Results

The 15 and 12 mA settings provided the highest mean values for all the evaluated criteria, with significant differences from the values for the other mA settings. The 10, 8, and 6.3 mA settings showed no significant differences in relation to tooth root and periodontal space. For the other evaluated criteria, no significant differences were observed for the 10 and 8 mA settings. The 4 and 2 mA settings gave the lowest mean values.

Conclusions

The best low-dose protocol with good image quality was the 10 mA setting. Lower dose protocols with 8 and 6.3 mA settings can also be used for these purposes, but caution is necessary because of increased image noise.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Fig. 1

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  1. Loubele M, Van Assche N, Carpentier K, Maes F, Jacobs R, Van Steenberghe D, et al. Comparative localized linear accuracy of small-field cone-beam CT and multislice CT for alveolar bone measurements. Oral Surg Oral Med Oral Pathol Oral Radiol Endod. 2008;105:512–8.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  2. Suomalainen A, Kiljunen T, Käser Y, Peltola J, Kortesniemi M. Dosimetry and image quality of four dental cone beam computed tomography scanners compared with multislice computed tomography scanners. Dentomaxillofac Radiol. 2009;38:367–78.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  3. Ziegler CM, Woertche R, Brief J, Hassfeld S. Clinical indications for digital volume tomography in oral and maxillofacial surgery. Dentomaxillofac Radiol. 2002;31:126–30.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  4. Miracle AC, Mukherji SK. Conebeam CT of the head and neck, part 1: physical principles. AJNR Am J Neuroradiol. 2009;30:1088–95.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  5. Hatcher DC. Operational principles for cone-beam computed tomography. J Am Dent Assoc. 2010;141:3S–6S.

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  6. International Commission on Radiological Protection. Recommendations of the International Commission on Radiological Protection. ICRP Publication 103. Ann ICRP. 2007;37:1–332.

    Google Scholar 

  7. Safety and Efficacy of a New and Emerging Dental X-ray Modality. Radiation protection no. 172: cone beam CT for dental and maxillofacial radiology (evidence-based guidelines); 2012. http://www.sedentexct.eu/files/radiation_protection_172.pdf. Accessed 12 Nov 2012.

  8. Ekestubbe A, Gröndahl K, Ekholm S, Johansson PE, Gröndahl HG. Low-dose tomographic techniques for dental implant planning. Int J Oral Maxillofac Implants. 1996;11:650–9.

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  9. Zammit-Maempel I, Chadwick CL, Willis SP. Radiation dose to the lens of eye and thyroid gland in paranasal sinus multislice CT. Br J Radiol. 2003;76:418–20.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  10. Cohnen M, Fischer H, Hamacher J, Lins E, Kötter R, Mödder U. CT of the head by use of reduced current and kilovoltage: relationship between image quality and dose reduction. AJNR Am J Neuroradiol. 2000;21:1654–60.

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  11. Sohaib SA, Peppercorn PD, Horrocks JA, Keene MH, Kenyon GS, Reznek RH. The effect of decreasing mAs on image quality and patient dose in sinus CT. Br J Radiol. 2001;74:157–61.

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  12. Rustemeyer P, Streubühr U, Suttmoeller J. Low-dose dental computed tomography: significant dose reduction without loss of image quality. Acta Radiol. 2004;45:847–53.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  13. Koizumi H, Sur J, Seki K, Nakajima K, Sano T, Okano T. Effects of dose reduction on multi-detector computed tomographic images in evaluating the maxilla and mandible for pre-surgical implant planning: a cadaveric study. Clin Oral Implants Res. 2010;21:830–4.

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  14. Lofthag-Hansen S, Gröndahl K, Ekestubbe A. Cone-beam CT for preoperative implant planning in the posterior mandible: visibility of anatomic landmarks. Clin Implant Dent Relat Res. 2009;11:246–55.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  15. Sur J, Seki K, Kiozumi H, Nakajima K, Okano T. Effects of tube current on cone-beam computerized tomography image quality for presurgical implant planning in vitro. Oral Surg Oral Med Oral Pathol Oral Radiol Endod. 2010;110:29–33.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  16. Lofthag-Hansen S, Thilander-Klang A, Gröndahl K. Evaluation of subjective image quality in relation to diagnostic task for cone beam computed tomography with different fields of view. Eur J Radiol. 2011;80:483–8.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  17. Dawood A, Brown J, Sauret-Jackson V, Purkayastha S. Optimization of cone beam CT exposure for pre-surgical evaluation of the implant site. Dentomaxillofac Radiol. 2012;41:70–4.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  18. Panmekiate S, Apinhasmit W, Petersson A. Effect of electric potential and current on mandibular linear measurements in cone beam CT. Dentomaxillofac Radiol. 2012;41:578–82.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  19. White SC, Mallya SM. Update on the biological effects of ionizing radiation, relative dose factors and radiation hygiene. Aust Dent J. 2012;57:2–8.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  20. Qu XM, Li G, Ludlow JB, Zhang ZY, Ma XC. Effective radiation dose of ProMax 3D cone-beam computerized tomography scanner with different dental protocols. Oral Surg Oral Med Oral Pathol Oral Radiol Endod. 2010;110:770–6.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  21. Lofthag-Hansen S. Cone beam computed tomography radiation dose and image quality assessments. Swed Dent J Suppl. 2010;209:4–55.

    Google Scholar 

  22. Sandborg M, Alm Carlsson G, Persliden J, Dance DR. Comparison of different materials for test phantoms in diagnostic radiology. Radiat Prot Dosimetry. 1993;49:345–7.

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Conflict of interest

There are no financial or other relations that could lead to a conflict of interest.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Division of Oral Radiology, Department of Oral Diagnosis, Piracicaba Dental School, State University of Campinas, Av. Limeira, 901, P.O. Box 52, Piracicaba, SP, 13414-903, Brazil

    Frederico Sampaio Neves, Thaís de Camargo Souza, Sérgio Lins de-Azevedo-Vaz & Frab Norberto Bóscolo

  2. Division of Oral Radiology, Department of Oral Radiology, School of Dentistry, Federal University of Bahia, Av. Araújo Pinho, 62, Canela, Salvador, BA, 40110-912, Brazil

    Paulo Sérgio Flores Campos

Authors
  1. Frederico Sampaio Neves
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Thaís de Camargo Souza
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Sérgio Lins de-Azevedo-Vaz
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  4. Paulo Sérgio Flores Campos
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  5. Frab Norberto Bóscolo
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Frederico Sampaio Neves.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Neves, F.S., Souza, T.d.C., de-Azevedo-Vaz, S.L. et al. Influence of cone-beam computed tomography milliamperage settings on image quality of the mandibular third molar region. Oral Radiol 30, 27–31 (2014). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11282-013-0132-6

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11282-013-0132-6

Keywords

Search

Navigation