Dental Cone Beam Computed Tomography in Children: Clinical Effectiveness and Cancer Risk due to Radiation Exposure

Oncology. 2019;96(4):173-178. doi: 10.1159/000497059. Epub 2019 Mar 5.

Abstract

Firstly used in the early 90s to generate 3-dimensional projections of X-ray images, cone beam computed tomography (CBCT) has resulted in a large application in dentomaxillofacial imaging, even in children. CBCT uses ionizing radiation that may cause damage to the DNA, and children are at the greatest carcinogenesis risk due to their higher tissue radiosensitivity and their longer life expectancy compared to adults. The questions of whether the cancer risk is really increased after repeated dental CBCT in childhood and of what the underlying biological basis is have become hot topics in the field of dentistry and radiobiology. We performed an overview of the current literature to assess an acceptable role of CBCT in pediatric dentistry.

Keywords: Cancer risk; Carcinogenesis; Children; Cone beam CT; Dentistry; Ionizing radiation; Stochastic effect; X-ray.

Publication types

  • Review

MeSH terms

  • Age Factors
  • Cone-Beam Computed Tomography / adverse effects*
  • DNA Damage*
  • Humans
  • Neoplasms, Radiation-Induced / diagnosis
  • Neoplasms, Radiation-Induced / etiology*
  • Neoplasms, Radiation-Induced / genetics
  • Pediatric Dentistry* / methods
  • Radiation Exposure / adverse effects*
  • Radiography, Dental / adverse effects*
  • Radiography, Dental / methods
  • Risk Assessment
  • Risk Factors
  • Time Factors