(1)A patient comes into your office complaining of a toothache.You want to see the entire tooth on a radiograph.A bitewing radiograph would be the best radiograph to prescribe to achieve this.(2)A patient comes into your office complaining of pain with the left temporomandibular joint.You want to view both the right and left temporomandibular joints.A periapical radiograph would be the best radiograph to prescribe to achieve this.

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

Bitewing radiographs are best for detecting interproximal decay and are not designed to show the entire tooth including the root. Periapical radiographs are used to view the entire tooth. For viewing the temporomandibular joint, neither a bitewing nor a periapical radiograph is appropriate; specialized imaging techniques such as panoramic radiographs or cone beam CT scans are typically used.

(1)A Patient Comes into Your Office Complaining of a Toothache