Dental Radiography Series: Interpretation of Dental Radiographs in Dogs & Cats, Part 2: Normal Variations and Abnormal Findings

As originally published in “Today’s Veterinary Practice,” May/June 2017 (Volume 7, Number 3) Santiago Peralta, DVM, DAVDC, and Nadine Fiani, BVSc, DAVD, Cornell University As described in “Part 1, Principles & Normal Findings” (January/February 2017), dental radiography in dogs and cats constitutes an essential component of a comprehensive diagnostic plan.1-4 Part 1 also described appropriate mounting and display of radiographic films/plates for reviewing purposes, explained a recommended workflow to review radiographs and record findings, and presented radiographic examples of normal relevant structures. This [...]

August 7, 2017 Imaging Tips
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Dental Radiography Series: Interpretation of Dental Radiographs in Dogs & Cats, Part 1: Principles & Normal Findings

As originally published in “Today’s Veterinary Practice,” January/February 2017 (Volume 7, Number 1) Santiago Peralta, DVM, DAVDC, and Nadine Fiani, BVSc, DAVDC, Cornell University Dental radiography is considered part of the standard of care for dogs and cats undergoing dental intervention.1,2 Radiographs are essential for identifying and documenting the nature and severity of dental disorders and conditions.3-5 Dental radiographs often reveal relevant clinical information that would be missed based solely on an oral examination (ie, visual examination and periodontal probing), underscoring the critical [...]

July 25, 2017 Imaging Tips
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Dental Radiography Series: The Importance of Dental Radiography

As originally published in “Today’s Veterinary Practice,” May/June 2015 (Volume 5, Number 3)  Brook A. Niemiec, DVM, FAVD, Diplomate AVDC Southern California Veterinary Dental Specialties, San Diego, California The knowledge gained from dental radiographs not only improves patient care, it increases client compliance with treatment recommendations. Most important, the information gained via these radiographs speeds dental procedures and decreases complications. This article is the first in a 3-part series on dental radiology, which will discuss: The importance of dental radiography Dental radiography techniques Interpretation of dental [...]

July 12, 2017 Imaging Tips
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Anatomy of a Perfect Image: 3 Important Components of Image Quality

What affects image quality in flat panel detectors? 1. Pixel Pitch Optimize the pixel pitch! (Remember, Pixel pitch describes the diameter of round pixels or the distance between dots <pixels> on a display screen. In digital radiography, the optimum pixel pitch is between 100-150 microns). A pixel pitch that is too small will give you blurred edge detail in the image anatomy, and also require a higher dose x-rays. A pixel pitch that is too high will produce a grainy image with poor spatial resolution [...]

June 15, 2017 Imaging Tips
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5 Tips for Great X-Rays

5 Tips for Great X-rays by Dr. Wallace Liberman of Panorama Equine in Redding, California. You must be a good radiographer.  Do not assume that digital radiography will automatically help you shoot better radiographs. Learn the art and practice! Post processing of the image will not always improve the image to what it should be. Thoroughly learn the system’s robust software to maximize the quality of the image. The ability to manipulate the image can help discern soft tissue problems or radio density [...]

June 14, 2017 Imaging Tips
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Anatomy of a Perfect Image: Pixels and Bits

Pixels – Dot Size What is a pixel? You’ve probably heard the term before, and generally know that pixels make up an image. Did you know “pixel” is short for “picture element”? In digital radiography, pixels come into play at both the front and back end. First the device (your DR panel) uses pixels to capture the image created by radiation from the x-ray generator. On the back end, the pixels come into play with how the picture is viewed [...]

June 13, 2017 Imaging Tips
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