Abstract

There is growing public concern about patients' radiation exposure from recent medical imaging using ion izing radiation. While medical radiation exposure has inevitable aspects, efforts to optimize doses in line with the principles of justification and optimization are necessary to maximize diagnostic value with the minimum radiation dose. Diagnostic reference levels have been proposed as a means to achieve optimization, in ac cordance with ICRP (International Commission on Radiological Protection) publications 60 and 73, as well as EC (European Commission) Directive 97/43/Euratom. According to Requirement 34 of the 'International Basic Safety Standards' published by the IAEA in 2014, governments are recommended to establish national diagnostic reference levels. According to ICRP Publication 135, issued in 2017, national diagnostic reference levels should be revised regularly, preferably every 3-5 years, and more frequently in the case of technological advancements, such as in the case of CBCT. In South Korea, diagnostic reference levels for various imaging modalities have been established since 2007. In the field of dentistry, diagnostic reference levels for intraoral and panoramic radiography were established in 2009, and in 2018, diagnostic reference levels for dental CBCT were introduced for the first time. The purpose of this report is to discuss the current national-level patient radia tion dose management in South Korea and explore its applications