The thick line through the middle of the diagram marks a change in the unit of measure. Electromagnetic spectrum, showing the various wavelengths of radiation typically used. Name a similarity between dental x-radiation and visible light. What are the characteristics of x-rays that make them unique? (Refer to Box 38-1 on p. It has the capacity to collide with electrons found in the outer orbital shells of otherwise electrically stable atoms, resulting in ionization when an electron is lost. Electromagnetic radiation is made up of photons that travel through space at the speed of light in a straight line with a wavelike motion.Ī photon is a tiny bundle of pure energy that has no weight or mass.Like visible light, radar, radio, and television waves, they belong to a group called electromagnetic radiation. X-rays are a form of energy that can penetrate matter.The dental assistant must be familiar with the unique characteristics of x-rays.This event was also recorded as the first radiograph of the human body. (From Frommer HH, Stabulas-Savage J: Radiology for the dental professional, ed 8, St Louis, 2005, Mosby.)Įventually Roentgen placed his wife’s hand on a photographic plate and exposed her to the rays for 15 minutes to show that he was able to permanently capture the image of the outline of her bones. Wilhelm Conrad Roentgen (1845–1923), discoverer of x-rays. What everyday activities or objects are known to give off radiation that may also cause biologic changes in human beings? Roentgen was experimenting in a darkened room with a vacuum tube and electrical screens that he found glowed a faint green color.Īfter replacing the fluorescent screen with photographic plates, he was able to permanently capture images. While visiting the dentist, what steps to minimize radiation exposure to the patient and the operator have you noticed ? (This question should also be asked later on in the lesson where students can give additional, more sophisticated answers.) It is important to learn the fundamentals of ionizing radiation to understand how the atomic structure of cells is changed by radiation. The dental assistant is also responsible for documenting the number and type of radiographs taken in the patient’s clinical record under a dated entry. The dentist relies on the dental assistant to capture a radiographic image as accurately as possible to help make a proper diagnosis. During his lifetime, Roentgen was awarded many honors and distinctions, including the first Nobel Prize ever awarded in physics, in 1901.For many years x-rays were referred to as roentgen rays, radiology was referred to as roentgenology, and radiographs were known.Wilhelm Conrad Roentgen (pronounced rent-ken), a Bavarian physicist, discovered the x-ray on November 8, 1895.
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