Oral Health | Clinical and Risk Asessment | Selection criteria for radiographic examination

Selection criteria for radiographic examination
Session overview
Description
This session identifies the guidelines that support dentists in the selection of the most appropriate dental radiograph. It further explains how dentists incorporate the guidelines into dental practice.

Learning objectives
By the end of this session you will be able to:

• list the published guidelines on the selection of the appropriate radiograph to be taken for different patients
• summarise how you would incorporate these guidelines into your practice

Guidelines are systematically developed statements designed to assist the clinician, and patient, in making decisions about appropriate health care for certain specific, clinical circumstances.

However, guidelines should not be a rigid constraint on clinical practice.

The Royal College of Radiologists have been producing radiological guidelines since 1989. The version that was released in 1998 was designed to be evidence based.

The latest edition is 'Making the Best Use of Clinical Radiology Services Referral Guidelines 8th Edition', and was released by the Royal College of Radiologists in 2017.

Guidelines for dental radiography were first published in 1998 by the Faculty of General Dental Practitioners (UK).

The session starts with an introduction to the guidelines for dental radiography. It considers selection criteria for panoramic radiographs specifically and then reviews the appropriate imaging for certain dental conditions.