Dental X-Ray Characteristics ch6

Flashcards covering key concepts of dental X-ray image characteristics.

What are the two main types of areas identified in a dental X-ray image?

Radiolucent areas (dark/black) and radiopaque areas (white).

What defines a diagnostic dental image?

A diagnostic dental image has proper density and contrast, sharp outlines, and maintains the same shape and size as the object radiographed.

What factors influence the density of a dental X-ray image?

Kilovoltage, milliamperage, exposure time, and subject thickness.

How does increasing kilovoltage affect contrast in a dental X-ray image?

Increasing kilovoltage results in long-scale contrast with many shades of gray.

Define film contrast and subject contrast in the context of dental X-rays.

Film contrast is the inherent qualities of the film affecting image density, while subject contrast is based on the characteristics of the subject influencing the radiographic contrast.

What is a stepwedge and what is its function in dental radiography?

A stepwedge demonstrates short-scale and long-scale contrast by showing different densities on a dental image.

What is the penumbra in dental radiography?

The penumbra is the zone of unsharpness along the edge of the image that results from the divergence of the X-ray beam.

How is magnification in dental radiography reduced?

By increasing the target-receptor distance and minimizing the object-receptor distance.

What causes distortion in a dental X-ray image?

Distortion results from unequal magnification of different parts of the same object due to improper receptor alignment or angulation of the X-ray beam.

What are the three geometric characteristics of a dental X-ray image?

Sharpness, magnification, and distortion.