You have taken your first dental image on your patient.The contrast is high and you are looking for periodontal disease.You are using a DC machine and you have control of your settings.You have a 60- to 70-kV range and a 6- to 8-mA range.You had the kV set at 60,the mA set at 7,and the impulses set at 6/100.While leaving all other settings the same,which setting would you adjust to create better contrast for detecting periodontal disease?

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

The only factor that affects contrast is kV.kV affects the penetrating ability of the x-ray beam.A higher kV creates a lower contrast image (more shades of gray)while a lower kV creates a higher contrast image (more black and white).A low-contrast image is preferred for detecting periodontal and periapical diseases.A high-contrast image is preferred for detecting caries.Increasing mA affects density,not contrast.Decreasing mA affects density,not contrast.Increasing and decreasing time affect density,not contrast.

You Have Taken Your First Dental Image on Your Patient