UTILIZATION OF CONSTANT EXPOSURE FACTORS FOR INTRAORAL ROENTGENOGRAPHIC STUDIES

¹ Laboratory of Oral Physiology and Department of Radiology, Tufts College Dental School, Boston, Mass.

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the possibility of using a constant Ma.S. value at kilovoltages in the vicinity of 95 KVP to produce diagnostic intraoral x-ray films, and to suggest a suitable exposure value for this procedure. It was found that at 95 KVP the per cent of change in Ma.S. required to produce equal film densities on either side of a common density was less than at any other KVP, from 110 to 50. This fact establishes the original premise that at a constant Ma.S. a greater range of intraoral tissue densities may be seen at 95 KVP than at any other KVP within the range studied. This range of tissue density is sufficient to allow for the production of diagnostic radiographs in patients having considerable variation in bodily structure. An exposure value between 10 and 15 Ma.S. was shown to be optimum for intraoral films using a 23-inch target-to-film distance, 0.5 mm. Al filtration, ultra-speed film, and a peak kilovoltage of 95 under standard developing procedures.

The theoretical considerations suggested have been substantiated on a clinical basis.