5 Tips to Taking Good Dental X-Rays

a dental assistant reviews a patient’s digital X-rays on a nearby monitor

Taking dental x-rays may seem easy, but it actually requires knowing how to properly operate the equipment if you want to capture clear, concise images. These visuals are important to a dentist because they allow them to identify problems lying beneath the surface as well as how to prepare a patient’s treatment plan. While enrolled in a dental assisting school, you’ll learn the ins and outs of using various equipment, but if you want to ensure you’re taking the highest quality x-rays, here are a few tips to help you along the way.

Make Sure the Receptor is Properly Aligned

When taking dental x-rays, you will use what is referred to as a “receptor.” This piece is inserted into the patient’s mouth and acts as a camera, capturing images of the teeth and gums. Making sure it is properly aligned within the oral cavity is necessary to ensure it takes images at the right angle. If it is positioned incorrectly, the X-rays beam may cause the patient’s teeth to appear too long, too short, or even overlapped.

Don’t Dismiss Areas of the Mouth

If the dentist recommends a patient has panoramic X-rays, make sure to capture the entire mouth, not just those areas with remaining teeth. Even individuals with missing teeth or wisdom teeth that have been removed should have x-rays that reflect these vacated sockets, as this will allow the dentist a clearer, well-rounded view of their oral cavity and how to provide proper treatment.

Try to Avoid Bending the Film and/or Receptor

Want to avoid distorted or unclear images? Make sure the film and receptor remain straight the entire time. This can be tricky, as you will be expected to place the receptor inside a patient’s mouth; however, to avoid this problem, make sure you are choosing tools that fit correctly within a person’s oral cavity. When biting down, it should not cause these to bend in any way. This is why many dental offices choose receptors made of plastic, as they are much harder.

Pay Attention to the Size of Your Patient’s Mouth

The size of your patient’s mouth can make a difference in the exposure of the image. For smaller mouths, there should be less light, so you’ll need to adjust the settings accordingly. Depending on which type of patients your dentist treats, the exposure settings will vary based on children and adults, so making sure it is set correctly will help you avoid under as well as overexposed images.

Make Sure Your Patient is Comfortable

Part of your dental assisting program will be to learn how to keep your patients comfortable. Because dental x-rays are not the most relaxed part of a visit, they may be tempted to move around during the process. As a result, you can be left with unclear images that make it hard for the dentist to decipher. Instead, give them the neck and head support they need and remind them to breathe deeply if they have a sensitive gag reflex. This can help them to refocus their attention elsewhere while you capture your necessary X-ray images.

About Dental Assistant Pro
For more than 25 years, Dental Assistant Pro has been providing aspiring dental assistants with essential knowledge and hands-on skills learning. Our philosophy is the best dental assisting training should be taught in a dental office at an affordable cost, so why not take a chance and enroll in our 10-week course schedule? It’s now more affordable than ever to become a dental assistant! To learn more about us, visit our website or call (513) 515-6611.

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Reviews From Our Students

Kenzie Clark
Kenzie Clark
13. August, 2022.
Great experience!!
kaitlyn mcgarvey
kaitlyn mcgarvey
13. August, 2022.
Quick easy way to get a dental assistant certificate. Quick way to get into the dental field. More job opportunities opened after I received the certificate. Also received radiology license from class. Instructor is easy-going & bubbly personality.
Kaitlyn Waits
Kaitlyn Waits
13. August, 2022.
Enjoyable, quick program to get into a dental office. I'm looking forward to starting my new career
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Sydnee Burgess (Syd)
13. August, 2022.
It was a great experience! I was very nervous about dental and wasn’t sure how much I’d like it but through this experience I feel a lot better about going into the field. Jeanie who is the instructor is also a very warm person and truly cares for each of her students and their growth in the field.
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11. May, 2022.
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Lilly Collins
Lilly Collins
7. May, 2022.
Had an amazing experience as a student in the Lebanon program! The instructors Abby and Jeanne are amazing and have taught me so much from skills to job search, i will be forever grateful for their help and this experience.
Kaitlyn
Kaitlyn
7. May, 2022.
Dental Assistant Pro is a wonderful program! The instructors, Jeanne and Abby, are very welcoming and do a great job at teaching their students. This program teaches you all of the basics and allows you to enter at an entry level dental assisting position at any Office. It was very convenient having classes only on the weekends and was so much fun!
Megan Sellman
Megan Sellman
7. May, 2022.
I went to Dental Assistant Pro from 7:30am-12pm, Jeanne and Abby made the program very fun and enjoyable! I learned a lot from this program and they made it easy to learn.
kiranpreet kaur
kiranpreet kaur
7. May, 2022.
I am only 18 and a Dental assistant now. I went to Dental Assistant Pro at Lebanon. It was a wonderful and thorough program. Jeane and Abby made it so easyyy to accomplish my goal. I learnt a lot in this program- X-rays, impression, diagnostic caste model and a lot of other things. Hands on training, awesome experience!!!!! Loved it 😊