Evaluation of use of cone beam computed tomography in paediatric patients: A cross-sectional study.

Background: Cone beam computed tomography (CBCT) is widely used in paediatric dentistry. Appropriate use of CBCT is important because children are more vulnerable to ionizing radiation than adults.

Aim: To investigate the use of CBCT in children by describing reasons for requesting it and its distribution according to age, oral region, and department.

Design: Cone beam computed tomography scans of patients (age < 19 years) who presented to our dental clinic were investigated retrospectively according to sex, age (6-12 [Group 1] and 13-18 [Group 2] years based on dentition), referring department, imaging area (anterior/posterior, mandible/maxilla), and indication. Indications were grouped under five headings according to 2011 SEDENTEXCT guidelines: dental anomalies, impacted teeth, endodontics, bone pathosis, and others.

Results: Overall, 334 CBCT scans at different times and for different reasons in 319 patients were evaluated. In recent years, CBCT requests increased in both age groups. Eighty-five CBCT scans (25.44%) of 78 patients (24.45%) with a mean age of 10.37 ± 1.60 years were examined in Group 1, whereas 249 CBCT scans (%74.55) of 241 patients (75.54%) with a mean age of 15.66 ± 1.70 years were examined in Group 2. The most frequent indication was the assessment of impacted teeth (46.1%). The anterior maxilla was the most frequently monitored region (41.6%). The oral and maxillofacial radiology department was the department that made the most CBCT requests in all the years considered (53.6%).

Conclusions: The most common indications were the assessment of dentigerous cysts and impacted teeth. There was an increase in the number of referrals to paediatric dentistry.