Ace the 2026 DANB RHS Challenge – Radiate Confidence in Your Dental Journey!

Inadequate collimation during dental X-rays can lead to higher radiation exposure for patients. Collimation involves using a device to limit the size and shape of the x-ray beam to the area of interest, which plays a crucial role in minimizing the amount of radiation that reaches the patient and surrounding tissues. When collimation is not performed correctly, the x-ray beam may cover a larger area than necessary, leading to unnecessary exposure of adjacent tissues to radiation.

This increased exposure can pose higher risks of radiation-induced effects, including potential harm to surrounding organs and increased dose to the patient, possibly contributing to long-term outcomes such as cancer or other radiation-associated risks. Proper collimation not only helps to protect the patient's health but also improves the diagnostic quality of the images by reducing scatter radiation and enhancing image contrast. Thus, ensuring correct collimation is vital for both patient safety and the efficacy of radiographic procedures.