Drat Part 1-Lp4 - June 2020

Dental
Radiography
MDA – Chapters 38 to 42
Comp – Chapters 21 to 23
Ailsa Trottier CDAII, CAE
Part 1
MDA – Chapter 38
Comp – chapter 21
Inside The X-ray Tube
 Glassvacuum tube in which all of the air
has been removed
 Keeps it air tight and free from air
contaminants and the atoms undisturbed
 Has an unleaded window
 Contains the cathode and the anode
The X-ray Tube
The Cathode
 The negative pole ( - )
 Supplies the electrons to produce x-rays
 Consists of the tungsten filament wire and the
molybdenum cup
 Molybdenum cup (focusing cup)
 Looks like a tea cup
 Holds the electron cloud that is produced by the heating of
the tungsten filament wire
 Tungsten filament wire
 When the wire is heated, electrons are “boiled off” and it
focuses them into a narrow beam across the tube toward
the tungsten target
The Anode
 Positive pole ( + ) 1” from the Cathode
 Wafer thin tungsten plate embedded in the
copper stem or wire
 It is the target of the electron flow coming
from the cathode
 Its purpose is to convert electrons into x-
ray photons
 Consists of the tungsten target and the
copper stem
Anode - Tungsten Target
 Made up of tungsten metal and is the “bull’s
eye” in the path of the radiation
 It is on a 20 degree angle directed towards
the window (portal)
 It converts the bombarding electrons into
x-ray photons
Anode – Copper Stem
 Draws the excess heat from the target and
dissipates it into the oil
 Only 1% of the actual radiation becomes the
primary beam
 99% is given off as heat through the radiator
 Bremsstrahlung = braking radiation
 Sudden stopping of the electrons from the
cathode as they hit the target in the anode
 Strahlung is German for radiation
To Recap…
Radiation Characteristics
X-ray beam quality, quantity and Intensity
MDA - Page 543 to 545
Comp – Page 478
Kilovolts
 kV or kVp
 Electric current heats up the cathode (creating
energy)
 Measures the quality of the current or the
speed of the electrons
 Controls the penetrating power of the x-rays –
“force”
 Normal setting of kVp is 70
 How quickly the electrons go from the cathode to
the anode
Milliamperage
 mA (amperes)
 Determines the quantity or number of
free electrons produced in the cathode
 Dental units usually operate in a range of
7.5 to 15 mA with 10 mA being the most
commonly used
Exposure Time
 Controls the flow of electricity to generate
radiation
 Affected by the following:
 Radiographic technique being used
 e.g. changing from 8” to 16” PID (increase)
 Type of film being used or sensor
 e.g. changing from a C to an E film (decrease)
 Tissues being radiographed
 e.g.the cheek is denser (increase), lips not dense
(decrease)
Note …
 Higher kVp (speed/Quality) / lower mA
(time/Quantity) = the greater the penetrating
ability
 Ideally, the kVp should be high and the mA
should be low
 We like hard rays and short wavelengths to
penetrate the body tissue
 The lower the kVp, the less penetrating
ability, the longer the exposure time, the
shorter the gray scale
 The shades black, white and very few shades of
gray on the film – explained in Part II
 The higher the kVp, the higher the penetrating
ability, the shorter the exposure time, the
longer the grey scale
 The many shades of gray seen instead of black and
white)
 This is what the DDS likes.
 It gives a higher quality film diagnostically.
 kVp = speed, quality and contrast
 Contrast refers to how sharply dark and light
areas are differentiated or separated on a
film
 mA = time, quantity and density

 Density refers to the overall blackness or
darkness of a film
KvP and mA
kVp mA
Quality Quantity
Speed Time
Contrast Density
Production of X-rays
Production is dependant upon the following:
1. Heating of the cathode

2. Rapidly moving electrons
3. Sudden stopping of the electrons
Quality Assurance
MDA – Chapter 40 Pages 578 to 579
Quality Assurance
 Procedures used to assure high quality
radiographs
 Includes quality control tests and
administration procedures
 X-ray machine inspected annually
 Processing solutions inspected and tested daily
or the image receptors are tested daily using
the step wedge
 Film expirations should be checked (if using
film) before use
QUIZ 1

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Dental

 mA = time, quantity and density

Production is dependant upon the following:

1. Heating of the cathode

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