Survey of dental radiographical practice in States of Punjab and Haryana in India

Background: Radiographs are used extensively in dentistry to supplement the clinical examination of the patients. Technical advances in X-ray equipment and imaging systems have allowed significant reduction in radiation doses of patients during intraoral and extraoral radiography. Objectives: The aim of this study was to determine the level of awareness of dental professionals of northern India regarding dose-reduction techniques and radiographic equipment. Methods: The survey covered 370 dentists in the states of Punjab and Haryana in northern India. Information on the demographic characteristics of the dentists, radiographic equipment, techniques, and radiation protection was obtained with a 30-point questionnaire. Results: The respondents knowledge concerning the technical details of their equipment was limited, with 82.3% not being aware about the kilovoltage peak of their machine. Up to 10.8% dentists were not aware about the speed of film. The most preferred technique for periapical radiography was the bisecting angle technique, which was used by 94.1% dentists. Conclusion: In the present study the results indicate that for minimizing any unnecessary radiation, attempts should be made to improve dentists' knowledge about radiation-dose-reduction techniques.