AERB Registration for Dental X-Ray and CBCT Units in India: A Compliance Checklist
In India, every Dental X-ray unit, whether intra-oral, OPG or CBCT, must operate under a licence from the Atomic Energy Regulatory Board (AERB), applied for through the e-LORA online system. The usual steps are registering the facility, declaring staff and safety tools, buying type-approved equipment, completing quality assurance (QA), and applying for and renewing the licence.
If you own or are setting up a unit, the process can feel like a maze of forms. This checklist follows the order in which most Dentists meet the steps. It is based on AERB's e-LORA guidelines for diagnostic Radiology and on public summaries, and it is written as a practical aid and not as legal advice. Requirements and forms change, so check the current circulars on the AERB and e-LORA sites before you act.
Who Needs a Licence
AERB's diagnostic Radiology guidelines state that all users of medical diagnostic X-ray equipment must obtain a licence for operation. The guidelines cover intra-oral and hand-held Dental units, OPG units, and CBCT units. That includes a single intra-oral unit in a small clinic.
The Checklist
1. Register your facility on e-LORA
Create the institute's account under Diagnostic Radiology.
Keep ready the employer's identity proof, proof of employership, and proof that the institute exists, such as PAN, TAN or a government registration.
2. Declare your staff
Add at least one operator and one medical practitioner as radiation workers.
Each person needs a personnel monitoring (TLD) number, which is entered at the time of declaration.
Keep joining or confirmation letters on file.
3. Declare your safety equipment
Intra-oral and hand-held units: a protective apron.
OPG and CBCT: a mobile protective barrier with a lead-equivalent viewing window, and a protective apron.
4. Prepare the room layout
A layout is not required for intra-oral or hand-held units.
OPG and CBCT units need a layout, unless the room follows an AERB model or approved layout.
If the layout is non-standard, a radiation survey is required, with readings at the operator's console, outside the patient door, behind walls and windows, and in the waiting area.
Keep the signed and stamped layout for inspection and file a change-in-layout form if the room is altered, or the unit is moved.
5. Buy approved equipment from authorised suppliers
The guidelines require equipment that is type approved or NOC-validated, bought from authorised suppliers with procurement permission.
For new equipment, the supplier submits an installation report, and you apply for the licence within the period the guidelines specify. Check the current time limit; the 2016 guidelines mention six months.
For pre-owned equipment, submit a procurement application, then an intimation of receipt after installation.
6. Complete quality assurance (QA)
QA is done by an AERB-authorised agency and covers items such as beam alignment, tube voltage and timer accuracy.
Periodic QA is expected at least every two years and after repairs that affect radiation safety. Confirm the current interval.
Keep the QA report with your licence records.
7. Apply for the licence
Complete the application on e-LORA, attaching the layout details, the QA results and any survey report.
Note the issue and expiry dates on the licence when it arrives.
8. Keep personnel monitoring running
Everyone declared as a radiation worker should wear a TLD badge, returned to an accredited lab on schedule.
Keep dose reports, because they are part of your safety record.
9. Renew on time and report
Renew before the licence expires, using the renewal form on e-LORA.
Annual safety status reporting also applies. Confirm the current requirement and the licence validity period on the AERB site; summaries differ.
Radiological Safety Officer: A Point to Check
AERB's e-LORA guidelines state that an approved Radiological Safety Officer (RSO) is mandatory for CT and interventional Radiology, and that for other equipment, including Dental units, the registrant may be the RSO. Some public summaries describe an accredited RSO as mandatory for all facilities. Because these sources differ, confirm with the current AERB circular or your regional office before deciding.
A Quick Reference
| Unit | Layout needed? | Safety tools declared | Other points |
|---|---|---|---|
| Intra-oral or hand-held | No | Protective apron | Still needs a licence and TLD for workers |
| OPG | Yes, unless it follows a model layout | Mobile barrier with lead-glass window, apron | QA and survey as applicable |
| CBCT | Yes, unless it follows a model layout | Mobile barrier with lead-glass window, apron | Stricter shielding attention because of higher exposure |
Common Mistakes
Operating before the licence has been granted.
Buying equipment that is not type approved.
Moving a unit or changing the room without filing a change in layout.
Letting QA lapse after a repair or tube change.
Not wearing or returning TLD badges.
Missing the renewal date.
Losing the original layout, QA and survey documents.
Keeping Patients and Staff Safe Beyond the Paperwork
Compliance is a floor, not a ceiling. Good practice also means taking only images that answer a question, using the smallest field and lowest suitable settings, using protective measures where appropriate, and keeping staff out of the beam. The facts and myths about Dental radiation covers the doses involved, which is useful when patients ask.
Frequently Asked Questions
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Yes. AERB's guidelines cover intra-oral and hand-held Dental units as well as OPG and CBCT.
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AERB's online system for licensing, registration and renewals for radiation facilities, including diagnostic Radiology.
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Generally, yes, unless the room follows an AERB model or approved layout. It is not required for intra-oral or hand-held units.
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At least every two years and after repairs with radiation-safety implications, according to the guidelines. Check the current circular.
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Personal radiation monitors worn by staff. They are returned to an accredited laboratory, which reports each worker's dose.
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On the AERB website and the e-LORA portal, or through the regional AERB office.
