You are interpreting a full mouth series of radiographs on a patient who had dental hygiene services at your facility this morning. The completed patient’s dental examination chart is available, but the patient has been dismissed. As you examine the radiographs, you notice the following:
1. Incipient proximal caries on the distal of the maxillary right first molar.
a. Describe the radiographic appearance of this lesion.
b. Indicate why you classified this lesion as incipient.
2. Moderate proximal caries on the mesial of the maxillary left first premolar.
a. Describe the radiographic appearance of this lesion.
b. Indicate why you classified this lesion as moderate.
3. Advanced proximal caries on the mesial of the mandibular left second premolar.
a. Describe the radiographic appearance of this lesion.
b. Indicate why you classified this lesion as advanced.
4. Severe proximal caries on the distal of the mandibular right first molar.
a. Describe the radiographic appearance of this lesion.
b. Indicate why you classified this lesion as severe.
5. Advanced occlusal caries on the maxillary right second molar.
a. Describe the radiographic appearance of this lesion.
b. Indicate why you classified this lesion as advanced.
6. Cemental caries on the mesial of the mandibular right first premolar.
a. Describe the radiographic appearance of this lesion.
b. Indicate why you classified this lesion as cemental.
7. The patient’s chart indicates incipient occlusal caries detected clinically on the maxillary left first and second molars. However, these do not seem to be evident radiographically.
a. Explain why these caries are not observed on the radiographs.
8. The patient’s chart indicates incipient buccal caries detected clinically on the mandibular left first molar. However, this lesion does not seem to be evident radiographically.
a. Explain why the buccal caries is not observed on the radiographs.
9. The radiographs reveal two radiolucencies resembling cemental (root) caries around the cervical of the mandibular right first and second premolars. However, the patient’s chart does not indicate that cemental caries were detected clinically.
a. Explain the possible cause of these radiolucencies.
10. The periapical radiograph of the maxillary left molar region is overlapped between the maxillary first and second molars.
a. Explain why detecting caries in this area will be compromised.
b. What optical illusion will most likely present in this area?
c. Describe the appearance of this optical illusion