Dosimetry Monitoring of Dental X-Ray Equipment

Federal regulations determine if radiation dosimetry monitoring is necessary in a dental office. Dental employers are not required to perform individual personnel dosimetry monitoring unless dental healthcare personnel (DHCP) are likely to receive a radiation dose in excess of 10 percent of the annual limits stated above. Annual occupational exposure of DHCP in most general dental offices measures below 0.02 rem per year, which is below the allowable exposure limit even for pregnant DHCP.

If dental offices choose not to monitor occupational radiation levels on a continual basis, documentation for not monitoring must be maintained in case of an inspection. To meet this requirement, dental offices should establish a baseline of radiation exposure to verify that additional monitoring is not required. DHCP who operate the x-ray equipment should be monitored for baseline exposure, as well as any other DHCP who may receive incidental exposure to radiation, i.e. a receptionist whose desk is against a wall next to an x-ray room. However, because the maximum allowable dose is lower for pregnant employees and because of the emotional factor involved, continuous monitoring is strongly recommended for declared pregnant employees for the duration of the pregnancy.

Always follow x-ray dosimetry vendor instructions on how to perform the monitoring. The baseline procedure should be repeated periodically and whenever changes are made that might affect radiation safety to DHCP. If requested, dental employers must provide a report of occupational exposure monitoring results to all individuals being monitored. Employee exposure monitoring records must be kept for the duration of employment plus thirty years.

OSHA Review, Inc. provides Dosimety Monitoring Services.