Radiation exposure during panoramic radiography in children.

In an effort to determine the amount of radiation exposure a child receives during a panoramic radiograph and to evaluate the effect of a protective thyroid collar, dosimeter readings were made on twenty-nine child patients at fourteen anatomic sites. The levels of radiation recorded were similar to those previously recorded for adults and phantoms, except for greater doses in the thyroid area. Placement of a lead-lined thyroid collar resulted in significant reduction of the thyroid doses.