Dental Radiography Flashcards

A collection of flashcards to help review important terms and concepts related to dental radiography.

Overlap

The error made when a bitewing image does not show open contacts between teeth.

Horizontal angulation

Adjustment needed to avoid overlapped contacts on a periapical image.

Technical skills

Knowledge and abilities required for efficient and accurate dental imaging.

ALARA

An acronym that means 'As Low As Reasonably Achievable' — radiographers should avoid retake images at all times.

kVp

Increasing this results in electrons gaining energy and speed to travel to the anode target and decreases image contrast.

Cone-cut

An error that occurs when the PID is not properly aligned with the image receptor.

Anode target

The site where electrons are converted into x-ray photons.

FMX

A full mouth set of x-rays that shows all tooth-bearing areas of the maxillary and mandibular arches.

Nonverbal communication cues

Cues like body movements, eye contact, and facial expressions that can make a patient feel secure.

Digital imaging advantages

Quick image viewing, easy sharing with providers, patient education, and no need for chemicals or darkrooms.

Direct-digital imaging

An example is RVG (Radiovisiography).

Indirect digital imaging

An example would be the use of a photostimulable phosphor plate.

18 images

The typical number of images taken for an FMX using a #2 size sensor in the clinic.

Palatal tori positioning

The IR should be positioned on the far side of the torus for patient comfort.

256 shades

The number of shades of gray used in digital imaging.

32 shades

The number of shades of gray that the human eye can detect.

Asepsis

The term for infection control that means the absence of pathogens.

Critical instruments

Instruments used to penetrate soft tissue or bone, typically not used in radiography.

Vertical (anterior), Horizontal (posterior)

The orientation of the IR for anterior and posterior PA’s.

Lead apron with thyroid collar

Recommended for all intraoral images but not for panoramic images.

Image density

Increased when the mA is raised, leading to a darker image appearance.

Parallel

Two lines or objects that are in the same plane and never intersect.

Vertical angulation adjustment

Should be increased by 20 degrees if a patient has a shallow palate.

Bitewings/periapical images

Should be taken based on the individual needs of patients.

Electron beam

Generated inside the x-ray tube by the heated filament in the cathode.

Phalangioma

The appearance of a patient's finger on the image.

Vertical bitewings

Taken on periodontal patients to show more of the interproximal alveolar bone levels.

Binding energy

Determined by the distance between orbiting electrons and the nucleus; greatest near the nucleus.

Longer wavelengths

Have less energy and are less penetrable.

Lead collimator

Restricts the size and shape of the x-ray beam.

Aluminum filters

Filter out long-wavelength 'lazy' X-rays to allow stronger X-rays through.

Thermionic emission location

Occurs at the tungsten filament in the cathode.

Target to IR distance

Increased to minimize magnification using the paralleling technique.

Dimensional distortion

Minimized by ensuring the object and IR are parallel.

Apices capture correction

Ensured by making sure teeth are in contact with the bite-block or adjusting vertical angulation.

Enamel

The most radiopaque part of a tooth on an x-ray.

Crown and apex

What a radiographer hopes to capture in a periapical image, along with supporting bone.

Mask and safety glasses

Required when spatter and aerosolized sprays of blood and saliva are possible.

Blurred dental images

Result from patient movement, tubehead movement, or IR movement during exposure.

Foreshortening

An error caused by too much vertical angulation, making teeth appear short with blunted roots.

Elongation

Caused by too little vertical angulation, resulting in roots appearing very long or stretched.

Underexposure errors

Can occur from insufficient exposure time, dense tissue, or insufficient mA.

Radiopacity and radiolucency

High contrast images show very radiopaque teeth and very radiolucent periodontium and tissue.

Exposure times comparison

Digital imaging requires 50-90% less exposure time than traditional x-rays.

Premolar periapical landmark

The distal of the canine is the landmark for a premolar periapical.

Molar periapical landmark

Requires the distal of the 2nd premolar to also capture the distal of the 2nd molar.

Nucleus content

Contains protons and neutrons.

Penumbra

The lack of image sharpness or fuzzy area that surrounds a structure in an x-ray.

Velocity

The speed of the wave.

Wavelength

The distance between the crest of one wave to the crest of the next.

Frequency

The number of wavelengths that pass a certain point in a specific amount of time.

Radioactivity

The spontaneous emission of radiation from disintegrating unstable atomic nuclei.

Milliamperage adjustment

The technique factor adjusted to create a larger electron cloud in the dental x-ray machine.