USG and CBCT indications in pediatric to adult dental patients: a university hospital study

Abstract

Background: This study aimed to retrospectively analyze the indications for requesting ultrasonography (USG) and cone beam computed tomography (CBCT) in patients presenting to the Faculty of Dentistry. Methods: A total of 54 USG requests were retrospectively reviewed for age, sex, region examined, type of probe used, and whether Doppler USG was applied. Additionally, 5044 CBCT requests were analyzed according to age, sex, region of interest (ROI), field of view (FOV) size, and re-exposure rates, in line with DIMITRA and SEDENTEXCT guidelines. Indications not covered by DIMITRA were categorized as “other.” Pearson’s chi-square and Fisher’s exact tests were used for comparisons of categorical variables, with statistical significance set at p < 0.05. Results: In the USG group, there were 28 male and 26 female patients. The mean age was 49.32 ± 15.29 years for males and 37.65 ± 14.47 years for females. The most common USG indications were soft tissue calcifications, lymph node evaluations, and soft tissue swellings. In the CBCT group, 507 patients (10.05%) were aged ≤ 18 years, and 4537 (89.95%) were older than 18 years. The overall mean age was 45.13 ± 16.83 years (range: 8–91). Of all patients, 2385 (47.28%) were male and 2659 (52.72%) were female. The most common CBCT indication was categorized as “other” (78.2%), followed by bone pathology (11.7%) and impacted teeth (7.6%). Implant planning was the leading reason within the “other” category (n = 3373, 85.5%). Conclusion: CBCT was more frequently utilized than USG across all age groups. To reduce unnecessary radiation exposure, adherence to optimized CBCT guidelines is essential. Moreover, broader implementation of USG should be encouraged in suitable cases.