Positioning Helpful Hints
Follow these tips for patient comfort and operator success:
- When positioning the PID (cone), make sure it is parallel and flush to the metal arm and flush with the aiming ring. The ring does not attach to the PID; it merely helps align it.
- Always place the holder into the center of the mouth, where there is more room.
- Instruct the patient to close slowly when placing a film/sensor holder. This allows musculature to relax and the patient will find the positioning more comfortable.
- In small mouths or for shallow palates, place a cotton roll between the teeth and the bite surface and adjust vertical angulation for patient comfort.
- Do not bend back the biteblock when inserting film.
- Place all films in the biteblocks with the dot on the film toward the occlusal or incisal edges, to make mounting consistent and to prevent the dot from interfering with diagnosis.
- Always use a Rinn lead apron to protect patients from radiation. When not in use, the aprons should be hung, not folded.
Bitewing Radiographs
To avoid overlapping of the contact areas, it is recommended that the film/sensor be positioned perpendicular to the interproximal spaces. To place the holder, the biteblock rests on the same arch as the teeth being radiographed. Use the line on the bite surface to help align the interproximal spaces.
