Dental Radiology Exams
One of the rules of radiation protection is never stand closer than ______ feet from the x-ray unit during an exposure unless you are behind a barrier.
6
Who can be held legally responsible for a dental assistant's actions?
Both the dentist and assistant
When the electrons strike the target, ____________________ are generated.
99% heat and 1% x-rays
Which of the following is an extraoral film that is placed outside the mouth during dental x-ray exposure procedures?
Cephalometric
Who is responsible for overall quality assurance in a dental practice?
Dentist
What is the purpose of the insulating oil that fills the x-ray machine housing and surrounds the x-ray tube?
Absorbs heat created by the production of x-rays
What should the dental assistant do if a patient refuses dental imaging?
Document in the patient's record the fact that he or she refused recommended dental imaging.
Which of the following statements is true regarding federal and state regulations on the use of dental x-ray equipment?
Most states have laws that require inspections of dental x-ray equipment on a regular basis.
If you change the exposure time of the x-ray unit, what is affected?
Number of x-rays produced
Who should hold the film in a patient's mouth if the patient is unable to do so?
Parent or relative of the patient
Which of the following must be disclosed to the patient before obtaining informed consent for dental radiographs?
Person who will be exposing, Risks and benefits of the images, Consequences of not having images
The Guidelines for Prescribing Dental Radiographs issued by the American Dental Association and the FDA recommend which of the following dental imaging procedures for a pregnant patient?
Radiographic imaging procedures do not need to be altered because of pregnancy.
The life of the processing solutions is affected by
The size of the film processed
The x-ray was discovered in 1895 by
Wilhelm Konrad Roentgen
Transporting PSP films should be done by placing them in
a black transfer box.
When film emulsion interacts with x-rays, the result is
a latent image.
Developer strength can be checked by using
a reference image or a stepwedge image.
The uses of dental images include the detection of
abnormalities in surrounding hard and soft tissues.
Sterilized positioning instruments should be removed from the packages
after the patient is seated.
The function of the _________ filter in the x-ray tube is to ____________________.
aluminum; remove long wavelengths from the beam
PSPs
are a major source of cross-contamination.
Positioning instruments in digital radiography
assist in film placement and keep the patient's fingers from being exposed.
Which of the following is the basic form of matter?
atom
Dental film holders, used to position and hold the dental x-ray films in the patient's mouth, include
beam alignment devices such as the Rinn XCP instruments and positioning instruments such as the disposable polystyrene bite-block, EeZee-Grip, and EndoRay.
According to the test for x-ray film freshness, the film is fresh and has been properly stored and handled when the processed film appears clean with a slight ______ tint.
blue
Which of the following tissues has the highest radiation sensitivity?
bone marrow
Because the entire x-ray area is considered a radiation hazard area, a radiation hazard sign must be posted in
both sight of patients and sight of personnel.
The portion of the x-ray machine that supplies the electrons to produce x-rays is the
cathode
When a film passes through fixer solutions before developing, the film will appear
clear
The range of shades of gray between black and white on an image is called
contrast
When developer solution in an automatic processor is warmer than 83° F, the processed film will appear
dark or black
The safest place to store unopened boxes of dental film is in the
darkroom
Dental images are the property of the
dentist
It is the responsibility of the ____ to discuss the need for dental imaging.
dentist
The correct order of steps in manual film processing is
develop, rinse, fix, wash.
One reason for a lighter than normal radiograph is the
developer solution is too weak.
The category of digital imaging similar to faxes and video equipment that uses a sensor with a cord attached to the computer is
direct digital radiography
One of the earliest signs of overexposure to x-rays may be
erythema
If a patient is small and petite, to get the same density radiograph it is best to reduce the
exposure time and mA.
he component of the x-ray machine that functions in positioning the tubehead is the
extension arm
A good technique for reducing the radiation exposure to both patient and operator is the use of
fast film or digital imaging
_____ hardens the film emulsion during film processing.
fixer
Clear spots on a processed film can be caused by
fixer contacts film prior to processing
The location where x-rays are produced in the x-ray tube is called the
focal spot
A plastic or metal film cassette holds and protects the extraoral film. During exposure, the side of the cassette the must face the patient is the _____ side.
front
A good protocol to follow for decreasing the contamination of dental imaging equipment and supplies is to
gather all supplies needed before beginning the procedure, ask for help, use overgloves if additional supplies are needed during a procedure.
Once films are removed from the mouth, they are considered contaminated and should be
handled only with gloved hands.
When in storage, the lead apron should be
hung or draped over a bar
The device that intensifies or increases the effect of the radiation and decreases the amount of exposure time needed when exposing an extraoral radiograph is a(n)
intensifying screen
A patient is concerned with radiation exposure. You can assure him that your office uses the ALARA concept, which includes
keeping exposures levels as low as possible, reducing the number of exposure, minimizing retakes
The penetrating power of the x-ray beam is controlled by the settings on the
kilovolt setting
Automatic film processing requires _____ than manual film processing does.
less equipment
Solutions should have been changed in the processor 1 week ago. Continuing to use exhausted developer will result in ____ films.
light
A radiograph that has an overall gray appearance is generally preferred. This radiograph is said to have
low contrast.
The most critical component in film processing quality control is
maintaining the freshness of the processing solutions.
All of the following structures will appear radiolucent on dental x-ray film except
metal restorations
The degree of density or blackness on an image is controlled by the
miliampere seconds
All the following organs are more sensitive to radiation and are considered critical organs except
muscle
A lead apron and a thyroid collar
must be used on all patients for all exposures
Failure to obtain informed consent from a patient prior to exposure of dental radiographs can lead to charges of
negligence
Which of the following terms is used to describe the energy or penetrating ability of the x-ray beam in dental radiography?
quality
The term ____________ is used to describe areas that appear dark on the image; ___________ is the term used to describe areas that appear white or light gray.
radiolucent; radiopaque
The purpose of the lead foil in the dental film packet is to
reduce film fogging
Dental imaging
refers to digitally produced images, detects conditions that might otherwise remain undetected, refers to film-based images
Secondary radiation
refers to x-radiation that is created when the primary beam interacts with matter.
Thermionic emission refers to the
release of electrons from the tungsten filament.
The lead collimator is used to
restrict the size and shape of the primary beam.
All the following statements are true regarding the care of intensifying screens except
screens should be cleaned with a commercial cleaner after each use.
Digital radiography requires less radiation than traditional radiography because the
sensor is more sensitive to x-ray energy.
How well the image reproduces fine detail or distinct outlines of an object is called
sharpness
In dentistry, the __________ the wavelengths of the x-rays, the greater their energy and their usefulness.
shorter
All the following are true statements about phosphor storage plate (PSP) imaging system imaging plates except they
should be autoclaved
According to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) Guidelines for Infection Control in Dental Healthcare Settings—2003, digital radiography sensors
should use FDA-cleared barriers.
The charge-coupled device (CCD) in direct digital imaging sensors is made of
silicon
Chronic radiation exposure occurs when _____ doses of radiation are received over a _______ time period.
small; long
Faster film speed would be associated with _____ silver halide crystals, a _______ emulsion, and presence of special radiosensitive dyes.
smaller; thinner
Fixer cutoff will result in a _____ border.
straight black
Quality assurance in the dental office is a way of ensuring that everything possible is being done to produce high-quality diagnostic images and includes quality control
tests and administration procedures.
The time lapse from x-ray exposure until noticeable damage occurs is known as
the latent period.
*Which of the following statements about duplicating film is not correct?
*Duplicating film is exposed by visible white light
*Damage caused by ionizing x-radiation to genetic cells
*can affect future generations.
*An example of cumulative radiation exposure is
*leukemia, cancer. cataracts
The most commonly used film size for adult intraoral dentistry is size
2
How much filtration is federally required for a dental x-ray machine operating over 70 kVp?
2.50 mm
The recommended distance between the safelight and where the films are unwrapped is
4 ft
The maximum permissible dose for an occupational worker for an individual 18 years of age or older is _____ rem/year.
5
If the operator's film badge indicates an exposure to very small amounts of radiation, what should be done?
Evaluate the x-ray equipment and techniques
The silver halide crystals are located within which of the following layers of the radiographic film?
Gelatin that suspends the emulsion
The dentist says that the image has too much contrast; she would like to see more gray values. What adjustment would you make?
Increase kVp
Which of the following time and temperature errors will result in reticulation of the film emulsion?
Sudden temperature change between developer and water bath
Exposure to radiation
no matter how small, has the potential to cause harmful biological changes.
When loading an extraoral film into the cassette prior to exposure, the
procedure must be done in the darkroom.
The simplest method for ensuring the freshness of each box of film is to
process one film from each box with fresh chemicals.
All the following are true regarding the transfer of dental images except
the originals are sent.
All of following are true statements about storage plates used with phosphor storage plate (PSP) imaging systems except that
they utilize radio frequency transmission to transmit the image to the computer via radio waves.
When placing a dental film in the patient's mouth, the white side is placed ____ the dental x-ray tubehead, and the raised dot to the ____ surface.
toward; occlusal or incisal
Dental records must contain documentation of the ______ of dental images taken.
type number location
The safelight in the darkroom can be tested by
using the coin test
Following removal of an exposed film or PSP from a patient's mouth, the film/PSP should be
wiped free of saliva using a dry 2 × 2-inch gauze sponge or paper towel.
The heart of the x-ray generating system is the
x-ray tube