QUALITY CONTROL IN DENTAL RADIOGRAPHY

August 26, 2024
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TOPIC: QUALITY CONTROL IN DENTAL RADIOGRAPHY

🌟 IMPORTANT POINTS TO REMEMBER

🔹Quality control: It is the specific measure for ensuring and verifying the quality of the radiograph taken.

🔹Quality assurance: The arrangement to ensure that the quality control procedures are effective, leading to relevant changes and improvement.

🔹Quality audit: It is the process of supervision of quality control and quality assurance mechanisms for satisfactory and effective working.

🔹Films reject an alysis: It is a simple method of identifying all film faults and sources of error and record to maintain the nature and cause of rejected radiograph

🔹Calibration of X-ray machine: It is done for X-ray output, collimator alignment, beam energy, timer, tube head stabilization, and focal spot size.

🔹Tube rating- electrical rating: It tells us the maximum combinations of kVp, mA, and time that may be used.

🔹It may be classified as electrical and thermal

🔹Thermal rating: It is the number of times you can take a radiograph at a stretch without burn-out of anode.

🔹Duty cycle: It relates to how frequently successive exposures can be made.

🔹Spinning top test for timer accuracy: This test is used for measuring the number of X-ray pulses, the machine produces

🔹Pinhole camera technique for focal spot assessment: A piece of lead of 1 mm in thickness is placed over the collimator opening in the base of the cone. A small hole not larger than 0.5 mm in diameter is made in the centre of the lead

🔹Fresh film: It appears clearer with a blue tint which means film is properly stored and protected.

🔹Fogged film: It appears fogged, meaning that the film has expired, improperly stored or exposed to radiation.

🔹Regular checks of light tightness: Load a cassette with an unexposed film and place the cassette on a window shelf in the daylight for a few minutes. Process the film normally and any ingress of light will fog the film

🔹Step-wedge film: It is a device with a small, graduated increase in the thickness of its material.

🔹Step-wedge radiograph: Take a radiograph of a step wedge using known exposure factors.

🔹Reference radiograph: It is the one that is processed under ideal conditions and is used to compare film densities of radiographs processed daily.

🔹Types of filter: The type of filter which should be compatible with the colour sensitivity of the film used, i.e. blue, green, ultraviolet.

🔹Condition of filter: The scratched filter should be replaced.

🔹Watt of bulb: It should be not more than 25 W.

🔹Distance from work area: The distance from the work surface should not be more than 4 ft.

📌 Aims of Quality Assurance Programme

  • High standard radiograph: It should be aimed to produce diagnostic radiographs of consistently high standards.
  • Retake radiograph: To reduce the repetition of the radiograph.
  • Source of error: To determine all sources of error to allow their correction.
  • Efficiency: To increase the efficiency of the machine.
  • Cost: To reduce costs to the patient.
  • Reduction of dose: To reduce the radiation dose to the patient and staff.

📌 To monitor fixing following tests are carried out:

  • Preparation of film: Unwrap one film and immediately place it in the fixer solution. Check the time taken for clearing.
  • Fast clearing: If the film clears in 2 min, the fixer is of adequate strength.
  • Slow clearing: If the film is not completely cleared after 2 min, then fixer strength is not adequate

📌 MULTIPLE CHOICE QUESTIONS (MCQs)

💡Which amongst the following should be measured to ensure sufficient energy for film exposure?

  1. HVL of beam
  2. FVL of beam
  3. CVL of beam
  4. All the above.

Answer: 1

💡Process of supervision of quality control and quality assurance mechanisms is

  1. Quality supervision
  2. Quality monitoring
  3. Quality audit
  4. Quality management.

Answer : 3

💡 Focal spot size gets enlarged with

  1. Increased heat
  2. Decreased heat
  3. Not related to heat
  4. None

Answer: 3

💡The maximum load that may be applied on the tube which may not cause any breakdown or damage to the tube is termed as

  1. Tube rating
  2. Tube loading
  3. Maximum tube concentration
  4. None of the above

Answer: 1

💡Spinning top test is a test for

  1. Amount of load
  2. Timer accuracy
  3. Radiation output
  4. All the above

Answer : 2

💡 Density and radiation output are

  1. Directly proportional
  2. Inversely proportional
  3. No relation
  4. None

Answer: 1

💡In the pin-hole camera technique for focal spot assessment, the thickness of lead is

  1. 1 mm
  2. 2 mm
  3. 3 mm
  4. 4 mm

Answer: 1

💡Darkroom efficacy is tested by

  1. Coin test
  2. Penny test
  3. Both the above
  4. None

Answer: 3

💡 The optimal temperature for checking developer in automatic processing is

  1. 28°C
  2. 30°C
  3. 24°C
  4. 19°C

Answer: 1

💡 A film with a small gradual increase in the thickness of its material is known as

  1. Step-down film
  2. Step-striped film
  3. Step-wedge film
  4. None

Answer : 3

Oral Medicine and Radiology