Are CBCTs Being Overused in Dentistry?

Background: The dependence on CTs for diagnostic information is increasing for all aspects of medical and dental care. This is resulting in an increase in ionizing radiation exposure to patients, which has been associated with increased risk of malignant lesions. Objective: To estimate the risk of future cancers in the United States associated with CT scans. Methods: Patient-level data from CT scans from multiple hospitals and imaging facilities entailing multiple health organizations in approximately half of the United States were used to generate a risk model of lifetime radiation-induced cancer. Results: For 2023, a total of 93 million (96.7% adults) CT scans in 61.5 million (95.8% adults) patients were performed. Mean number of scans per adult and child was 1.53 and 1.19, respectively. Projected lifetime cancers from the CT scans were projected to be 93,000 and 9700 in adults and children, respectively. CT scans in both children aged Conclusions: With the projected current utiliz more...