Determination of relative dose of ionizing radiation in the thyroid gland using a panoramic device with different protocols.

Background: The use of panoramic radiography (PR) is a complementary examination to aid in the diagnosis of cases in paediatric dentistry. The lack of specific protocols for these devices, however, can result in high doses of radiation, affecting critical organs such as the thyroid.

Aim: To evaluate the discrepancies in ionizing radiation received by the thyroid during PR examinations using anthropomorphic paediatric simulators built from computed tomography images.