Recognizing and avoiding common mistakes in dental radiographs

Dental imaging is a key tool in dental diagnosis and treatment planning, and intraoral radiographs are the most commonly used in practice due to their availability, significantly lower cost, and reduced radiation exposure. Intraoral radiographs are used in almost every dental procedure, from basic restorations to complex procedures such as implant placement. The provision of quality dental radiographic images throughout the process of obtaining them provides the clinician with the necessary information and eliminates the need for repeated radiographs, which increase the dose of ionizing radiation to both the patient and the dental team. Numerous factors can affect the diagnostic quality of dental radiographs. It is essential for radiographers who directly perform these procedures to be well informed about common errors in dental radiographs, their possible causes, and the measures to avoid them. This article provides an overview of common errors in dental radiography, categorized into three main areas: technique and projection errors, exposure errors, and processing errors. Addressing these errors, identifying the factors that influence or cause them, and implementing strategies to avoid them can greatly improve the image quality and diagnostic value of radiographs

Imaging methods and techniques in dental practice

The purpose of this study is to provide a brief overview of commonly applied imaging methods and techniques used in dental practice. Knowing the different types of X-ray techniques is closely related not only to obtaining good results but also to achieving radiation safety for patients and X-ray technicians.X-rays have great diagnostic value in daily dental practice. They are not only a supplement to the clinical examination but also a valuable diagnostic tool for visualization of the maxillofacial structures. Imaging methods play a pivotal role in determining treatment planning and assessing follow-up results for various clinical issues concerning the oral cavity and adjacent tissues. As imaging technology continues to advance, there is an increasing demand for more precise imaging methods and diagnostic tools. In modern dental practice, both conventional intraoral radiographs and advanced three-dimensional imaging methods, such as cone beam computed tomography, have found their rightful place. The transition from analog to digital radiography has not only simplified and expedited the process but also improved image retrieval, storage, contrast, and brightness. Moreover, three-dimensional imaging has revolutionized the examination of complex craniofacial structures, making them more accessible for analysis and expediting the process of early and accurate diagnosis.This article specifically focuses on the current advances in imaging technologies and their distinct characteristics. It does not address the issues related to their application in various dental areas, which may serve as subjects for future discussions.

Attitudes for Professional Realization of Students from the Specialty X-ray Laboratory Assistant in the Medical Collegе, Medical University of Varna

Introduction: The new challenges for the profession of "X-ray technician" create a need for well-trained X-ray technicians. Initial training and qualifications must serve for continuous professional development, which is essential for maintaining and further developing professional competence, practicing the profession, specializing, and acquiring the adaptability so necessary for laboratory assistants to be able to continuously support progress in imaging and changes in healthcare.Aim: The aim of the present study is to investigate the attitudes towards professional realization of future X-ray technicians.Materials and methods: An analysis of literature sources and a survey method (a direct, anonymous group anonymous survey) are attached.Results and discussion: The results reflect the attitudes of future X-ray technicians toward professional realization: one third of the respondents are adamant in their decision to work in Bulgaria; very few have chosen abroad; and the rest are still hesitant. The surveyed students have a clear idea of their future realization: most of them express a desire to work as an X-ray technician in the departments and clinics of imaging, dental clinics, or offices' radiation clinics, motivating their choice with opportunities for professional development to help patients and compliance with their own knowledge and skills. More than half of the respondents are aware of the need for continuous professional development and improvement, expressing readiness to continue their master's degree and to attend various forms of postgraduate education. The leading motives for this are the desire to increase professional competence and raise the prestige of the profession in our country.Conclusions: University education creates opportunities for the training of X-ray technicians to meet the new societal needs with high professional self-awareness, purposefulness, and motivation to improve as individuals and professionals and contribute to the development and establishment of the profession of X-ray technician in Bulgaria

Crohn’s Disease: Contemporary Diagnostic Techniques

The diagnosis and follow-up of patients with Crohn's disease are undergoing rapid development and innovation. In recent decades, significant diagnostic advances have been observed in diagnostic imaging. In recent years, the rapid development of new computer technologies and the introduction of new software have increased the informativeness and accuracy of CT, MRI, and ultrasound examinations of the abdomen. The quality of the CT scan is optimized, and at the same time, the ionizing dose to the patient is reduced. One of the ways to reduce the ionizing dose while scanning patients with Crohn's disease is to use a low-dose scanning protocol. With this scanning method, patients receive a much lower ionizing dose than the standard protocol without significantly losing quality. Dual-energy and dual-layer spectral detectors are two other scan protocols and image post-processing techniques that significantly improve image informativeness. New ultrasound machines and the development of the software have greatly improved the informativeness of this harmless study. Shear wave elastography and strain elastography are new research techniques through which we can obtain information about changes in the mesenteric of the affected areas. Development in magnetic resonance techniques is also observed. New magnetic resonance methods such as MR fluoroscopy, dynamic contrast-enhanced MR perfusion (DCE MR), magnetization transfer, and others are examples of this. Thus, new diagnostic methods give a key role to diagnostic imaging in the detection and follow-up of Crohn's disease

Contemporary review of commercially available medical X-ray detectors

Wilhelm Conrad Röntgen became the father of diagnostic imaging when he discovered the eponymous rays on November 8, 1895. Since then, this medical discipline has undergone tremendous developments, especially in the last three decades. A multitude of new imaging modalities have emerged, among which tomographic, non-ionizing, and capable of dynamically visualizing the processes and structures of the human body. Among them a fundamental significance in the modern diagnostic imaging department is attributed to the new X-ray based methods, all of which rely on digital X-ray detectors. These detectors have superseded the original photographic plaques used in analogue radiography, thus enabling the creation of computed tomography, the optimization of image quality, and overall dose reduction for the patient. Current detectors comprise three types—photo stimulated storage phosphors, indirect semiconductor detectors, and direct semiconductor (photon-counting) detectors. In this work all three are viewed in a concise manner, with their physical principle, construction, advantages, and disadvantages being discussed