Does Lead Apron Shielding Offer Any Benefit in Panoramic Radiography?

Background: With growing public interest in reducing radiation doses, it is important to understand the effects of various methods of shielding. The use of lead apron shielding during panoramic radiography is no longer widely recommended, but some countries still require its use. Objective: To compare the dose absorbed by a radiographic phantom with lead apron shielding compared to no shielding. Design: In vitro evaluation. Methods: A RANDO® full-body phantom with 110 thermoluminescent dosimeters (TLDs) at 55 locations was used to measure absorbed dose in different tissues affected by radiation. The phantom was scanned 50 times using 4 protocols: ProMax® 3D without shielding, ProMax 3D with lead apron shielding, SCANORA® 3D without shielding, and SCANORA 3D with lead apron shielding. All scans were done using the panoramic mode even though the units were capable of 3D scans. Results: No statistically significant difference was seen in the overall absorbed dose with shield more...