Academic Catalog

D H 305C: DENTAL RADIOGRAPHY III

Foothill College Course Outline of Record

Foothill College Course Outline of Record
Heading Value
Effective Term: Fall 2026
Units: 2
Hours: 2 lecture per week (24 total per quarter)
Advisory: Not open to students with credit in D H 68A.
Degree & Credit Status: Degree-Applicable Credit Course
Foothill GE: Non-GE
Transferable: CSU
Grade Type: Letter Grade Only
Repeatability: Not Repeatable

Student Learning Outcomes

  • Critically evaluate the presence or absence of caries using computerized contrast discrimination features on enamel and dentin against embrasure space.
  • Recognize and describe periodontal bone loss on a dental bitewing and periapical radiograph.

Description

This is the third in the series of four courses in dental radiography for dental hygiene students. This course focuses on advanced applications of radiology in dental care. Students will learn to interpret intraoral and panoramic radiographs. Emphasis is on identifying normal, atypical, and pathological structures. The course covers identification of dental anatomy and dental materials along with disease interpretation. Additionally, students will analyze of the progression of dental caries, periodontal disease, and periapical lesions to enhance their diagnostic radiographic interpretation skills. Intended for students in the Dental Hygiene Baccalaureate Degree Program; enrollment is limited to students accepted in the program.

Course Objectives

The student will be able to:

  1. Identify healthy features of teeth and periodontal structures.
  2. Perform a radiographic interpretation of incipient, moderate, and advanced dental caries as seen on bitewing x-rays.
  3. Analyze and describe the radiographic appearance of restorative materials used in dentistry.
  4. Identify and describe radiographic evidence that occur with diseased periapical structures.
  5. Analyze and recognize common dental structures on a panoramic radiograph that can indicate primary, mixed, and adult dentition.
  6. Recognize radiographic evidence of periodontal bone loss.
  7. Describe the purpose and use of the direct digital panoramic machine.

Course Content

  1. Radiographic interpretation of teeth and periodontium
    1. Enamel
    2. Dentin
    3. Pulp
    4. Periodontal ligament space
    5. Alveolar crest
    6. Lamina dura
  2. Bitewing radiography and dental caries
    1. Principles and techniques of bitewing radiographs
    2. Bitewing horizontal and vertical angulations
    3. Patient positioning
    4. Sensor placement for exposures
    5. Open contacts
    6. Contrasting features of radiographic dental caries progression
      1. Incipient caries
      2. Moderate caries
      3. Severe caries
    7. Influence of kVp on caries detection
  3. Recognition and appearance of dental materials on radiographs
    1. Amalgam
    2. Gold crowns/bridges
    3. Porcelain bonded to metal crown
    4. Posts and pins
    5. Single tooth implants
      1. Screw
      2. Cylinder
      3. Subperiosteal
    6. Resins
    7. Stainless steel crowns
    8. Orthodontic appliances
    9. Root canal materials
      1. Gutta percha
      2. Silver pins
  4. Radiographic appearance of periapical lesions
    1. Apical periodontitis
    2. Periapical abscess with and without fistula
    3. Periapical cyst
    4. Increased PDL space
    5. Horizontal pattern of alveolar bone loss
    6. Vertical pattern of alveolar bone loss
  5. Panoramic interpretation of dental structures
    1. Child dentition
    2. Mixed dentition
    3. Adult dentition
  6. Anatomical landmarks
    1. Lingual foramen
    2. Mental foramen
    3. Mandibular canal
    4. Submandibular gland fossa
    5. Inferior border of the mandible
    6. Internal oblique ridge
    7. External oblique ridge
    8. Genial tubercles
    9. Mylohyoid ridge
    10. Coronoid process
    11. Condyle
    12. Median palatal suture
    13. Mental foramen
    14. Maxillary sinus
    15. Nasal cavity
    16. Nasal septum
    17. Anterior nasal spine
    18. Zygomatic process of the temporal bone
  7. Radiographic evidence of periodontal disease
    1. Normal radiographic appearance of the periodontium
    2. Bone loss in the horizontal dimension
    3. Bone loss in the vertical dimension
    4. Periodontal wall defect
    5. Correlation of radiographic bone loss and clinical periodontal probe readings
  8. Digital panoramic radiography
    1. Reduction in radiation absorption
    2. Indications
    3. Patient safety features
    4. Patient preparation and positioning
    5. Sharply depicted planes
      1. Midsaggital
      2. Frankfort
      3. Anterior/posterior focal trough
    6. Ghost image
    7. Anatomical air spaces
      1. Naso-pharyngeal
      2. Palatal-glossal
      3. Glossal-pharyngeal

Lab Content

Not applicable.

Special Facilities and/or Equipment

1. Multimedia classroom.
2. When offered as an online course, students need on-going access to a computer with internet access and an email address.

Method(s) of Evaluation

Methods of Evaluation may include but are not limited to the following:

Midterm
Final written exam
Individual radiographic case studies
Quizzes

Method(s) of Instruction

Methods of Instruction may include but are not limited to the following:

Lecture
Discussion
Collaborative learning exercises

Representative Text(s) and Other Materials

Iannucci and Howerton. Dental Radiography, Principles and Techniques, 6th ed.. 2022.

Types and/or Examples of Required Reading, Writing, and Outside of Class Assignments

Students will create a grid to sort information into appropriate conceptual categories, from normal to pathological. This is created to have students notice and respond to intraoral features on images and to analyze and evaluate the content of what is read in each image. Analysis includes normal, atypical, and pathological findings.

Discipline(s)

Dental Technology