RESEARCH ARTICLE Radiation dose measurements in a dental orthopantogram unit using indigenously developed optically stimulated luminescence dosimeters Pradip Kumar 1,4 | Sunil Dutt Sharma 2 | Rakesh Mohan Chandola 3 | Devesh Ramdhar Mishra 2 | Bhushan Dhabekar 2 | Narender Singh Rawat 2 | Sonal Kadam 2 | Sadhana Agrawal 1 1 National Institute of Technology, Raipur, India 2 Bhabha Atomic Research Centre, Mumbai, India 3 Pt. J.N.M. Medical College & Hospital, Raipur, India 4 Atomic Energy Regulatory Board, Mumbai, India Correspondence Sadhana Agrawal, National Institute of Technology, Raipur, India. Email: sagrawal.phy@nitrr.ac.in Abstract Dental orthopantogram (OPG)/cone beam computed tomography (CBCT) scanners are gaining popularity due to their 3D imaging with multiplanar view that provides clinical benefits over conventional dental radiography systems. Dental OPG/CBCT provides optimal visualization of adjacent overlaying anatomical structures that will be superpositioned in any single projection. The characteristics of indigenously devel- oped optically stimulated luminescence dosimeters, namely, aluminium oxide doped with carbon (Al 2 O 3 :C), lithium magnesium phosphate doped with terbium and boron (LiMgPO 4 :Tb,B) and lithium calcium aluminium fluoride doped with europium and yttrium (LiCaAlF 6 :Eu,Y) were evaluated for their use in dental dosimetry. The dose -response of these dosimeters was studied at X‐ray energies 60 kV, 70 kV and 81 kV. Radiation doses were also measured using Gafchromic film for comparison. Radiation dose was measured at eight different locations of a polymethyl methacry- late (PMMA) head phantom including eyes. The optically stimulated luminescence (OSL) sensitivity of LiMgPO 4 :Tb,B is about 1.5 times and LiCaAlF 6 :Eu, is about 20 times higher than the sensitivity of Al 2 O 3 :C. It was found that measured radiation doses by the three optically stimulated luminescence dosimeters (OSLDs) and Gafchromic film in the occipital region (back side) of a PMMA phantom, were consis- tent but variations in dose at other locations were significantly higher. The three OSLDs used in this study were found to be suitable for radiation dose measurement in dental units. KEYWORDS dental, dose, dosimeters, OPG, OSLD, phantom 1 | INTRODUCTION A panoramic X‐ray is a commonly performed examination by dentists and oral surgeons in everyday practice and is an important diagnostic tool. It covers a wider area than a conventional intraoral X‐ray and, as a result, provides valuable information about the maxillary sinuses, tooth positioning and other bone abnormalities. A dental panoramic radiograph acquired from dental orthopantogram (OPG)/dental cone beam computed tomography scanners (dental CBCT) unit, normally shows the maxilla and mandible, all the teeth including the wisdom Received: 11 December 2018 Revised: 13 February 2019 Accepted: 29 March 2019 DOI: 10.1002/bio.3637 Luminescence. 2019;1–6. © 2019 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. wileyonlinelibrary.com/journal/bio 1