Radiological Science Course PDF

# Radiological Science Course ## Presented by: Dr Lee Feinberg Consultant Dental and Maxillofacial Radiologist ## Course Overview - **Module 1**: What is an x-ray? - **Module 2**: How are x-rays produced? - **Module 3**: What happens when x-rays hit you or the patient? - **Module 4**: How much r...

# Radiological Science Course ## Presented by: Dr Lee Feinberg Consultant Dental and Maxillofacial Radiologist ## Course Overview - **Module 1**: What is an x-ray? - **Module 2**: How are x-rays produced? - **Module 3**: What happens when x-rays hit you or the patient? - **Module 4**: How much radiation do you use? - **Module 5**: How do you create an x-ray image? - **Module 6**: How do you limit dose and what legislation must you comply with? - **Module 7**: What is an x-ray image? - **Module 8**: The anatomy of the maxillofacial skeleton and an introduction to radiological interpretation ## Diagnostic Imaging in Dentistry - **X-rays or Radiographs**: Images of teeth, showing the crown and root of the teeth. - **Cone Beam CT**: 3D images of the head and neck. The image shows two sets of images on the right. The first series is a set of three x-rays or radiographs. The second series is a set of cone beam CT scans of a human skull, including facial details. ## What are X-Rays? - X-rays are a type of wave. - Specifically, they are a type of electromagnetic wave. ## Electromagnetic Radiation Waves - An electric and magnetic field. - These fields vibrate at right angles to one another and at right angles to the direction of the wave. ## Electromagnetic Radiation Waves - They all carry energy from one place to another. - How they interact with matter depends on their frequency and wavelength. The image shows two electromagnetic waves, the first is a wave with short wavelength and high frequency. The second is a wave with long wavelength and low frequency. ## Electromagnetic Spectrum The image shows different types of electromagnetic radiation waves: - Radio - Microwaves - Infrared - Visible light - Ultraviolet - X-rays - Gamma rays ## X-Rays - These invisible x-rays are used in diagnostic imaging to produce pictures of patients. - If more x-rays pass through the patient, then more x-rays hit the detector. - If more x-rays are absorbed by the patient, then less x-rays hit the detector. - The more x-rays that hit the detector the darker that part of the image is (radiolucent). - The less x-rays that hit the detector the whiter that part of the image is (radiopaque). The image shows a single tooth and an x-ray of that tooth. ## Ionising Radiation - The energy of a photon depends on its frequency. - Higher frequency photons have greater energy. - UV photons, X-Rays and Gamma are all types of ionizing radiation. - Ionising radiation can cause harm to the patient. - The main risk we need to be aware of with diagnostic imaging, is a risk of cancer induction. The image shows different types of electromagnetic radiation waves, similar to the previous image, except that the descriptions for each type of wave are different. ## Summary - X-rays are an essential part of dentistry. - They enable us to produce diagnostic images, to demonstrate anatomy and diagnose pathology. - X-ray photons are a type of electromagnetic radiation wave. - They are high frequency and high energy waves. - They are a type of ionising radiation, with potential to cause harm. - Therefore, it is essential we understand: - the basic physics of x-rays - the legislation that we must comply with to use them safely.