tvpjournal.com | September/October 2015 | TOday'S VeTerinary PracTice
PracTical denTiSTry Peer reviewed
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To initiate a radiograph with this technique:
• Mandibular premolars/molars: Place the
sensor/plate in the mouth and set the P id
perpendicular to the sensor/plate.
• Maxillary premolars/molars: rotate the beam
laterally to a 45-degree angle.
• canines/incisors: rotate the beam rostrally 20
degrees.
Exceptions
There are only 4 conditions in which these
techniques may not produce a diagnostic image:
1. Maxillary canines: Because the maxillary canine
roots lie directly dorsal to the maxillary frst and
second premolars in dogs and the second and,
occasionally, third premolars in cats, a maxillary
occlusal image produces overlap with these
structures (Figure 12 a, page 64). Therefore, in
addition to the 20-degree rotation rostrally, rotate
the Pid 20 degrees laterally to image the root over
the nasal cavity and avoid this superimposition
(Figures 12b and 12c, page 64).
2,12,13
2. Rostral mandibular premolars (frst and
second in dogs; third in cats): The apices of
these teeth are often "cut off " on images exposed
with the parallel technique due to the symphysis
interfering with placement of the sensor/plate
suffciently ventral to capture the apices, therefore,
Figure 11. Proper imaging of the incisors and mandibular canines: Due to the caudal curve of
these teeth, the bisecting angle for the roots—70 degrees to the sensor—is very different than
the angle for the crown. Demonstrated are the proper positioning (a) and resulting image (B) for
mandibular incisors and canines in a cat, and the proper positioning (c) and resulting image (d) for
maxillary incisors in a dog. Note that figure 11c demonstrates lateral recumbency, which is this
author's recommended technique, although sternal recumbency is also acceptable.
C
D
A
B