Dental radiology

Interpretation of normal radiographic anatomy

This is a descriptive overview of normal radiographic anatomy. You should come back to this basic anatomy any time during the course or after the course if you have questions.

A radiograph is a two-dimensional representation of a three-dimensional structure. There is always superimposition of anatomical structures and sometimes the projection of anatomy into areas where you wouldn't expect it to be normally. You must reconstruct the anatomy in your mind to understand what you are seeing and understand how the angle of the x-ray beam can affect the location of structures on the film. Being able to identify "normal" anatomy on x-ray images is critical-otherwise, how would you recognize an abnormality?