Author(s)

Eunice N. Kihara, Florence Opondo, Tom J. Ocholla, Mark L. Chindia, Evelyn Wagaiyu

Department of Oral & Maxillofacial Surgery, Oral Pathology & Medicine, University of Nairobi, Nairobi, Kenya.
Department of Periodontology, University of Nairobi, Nairobi, Kenya.
Radiology Division, Department of Oral & Maxillofacial Surgery, Oral Pathology & Medicine, University of Nairobi, Nairobi, Kenya.

Background: Dental and cranio-maxillofacial diagnostic imaging constitutes an invaluable tool in the accurate diagnosis and management of a diverse range of conditions and diseases that afflict the oral and cranio-maxillofacial region. In order to improve on any existing facility, periodic audit evaluation is paramount. In this way proper and relevant service delivery can be achieved. Objective: To evaluate the range and volume of dental and cranio-maxillofacial diagnostic radiographic services offered at the University of Nairobi Dental Hospital (UNDH) in Kenya over a 5-year period (2006-2010). Methods: Retro-spective survey involving manual examination of patient records at the Division of Dental and cra-nio-maxillofacial Radiology registry of the UNDH. Results: Over the study period, the range of diagnostic radiographic services offered comprised of both intra- and extra- oral examinations. The total volume of radiographs taken was 48,874 among which 41,980 (86%) were intraoral and 6894 (14%) extraoral views. Among the intraoral views, 74% were bitewing, 25% periapical and only 1% were occlusal diagnostic views. The majority (95%) of the extraoral projections consisted of panoramic views and only 5% constituted other techniques. The volume of radiographs was high from January to September while November and December had the lowest number of examination requests. Conclusion: Intraoral radiography was the commonest examination with bitewings having been the majority while the panoramic tomography was the commonest extraoral examination performed.

Audit; Radiographs

Kihara, E. , Opondo, F. , Ocholla, T. , Chindia, M. and Wagaiyu, E. (2012) 5-year audit of the range and volume of diagnostic radiographic services at the University of Nairobi Dental Hospital. Open Journal of Stomatology, 2, 234-236. doi: 10.4236/ojst.2012.23041.