RADIOGRAPHIC
PROJECTION GEOMETRY
AND IMAGE QUALITY
PRESENTED BY
Mr Samuel DUSHIMIRIMANA (BSc, MSc)
In dental imaging, several geometric considerations
contribute to:
• Image sharpness and resolution (large vs small focal
spot size)
• Image size distortion (magnification vs minification)
• Image shape distortion (elongation vs foreshortening)
1. Image sharpness and Resolution
• Both sharpness and resolution are influenced by the same
geometric variables.
• Sharpness refers to how well a boundary between two
areas of differing radiodensity is revealed.
• Image spatial resolution measures how well a radiograph
is able to reveal small objects that are close together.
• X-rays originate from all points within the area of the focal
spot, and the image of the edge of an object is slightly
blurred rather than sharp and distinct.
• Therefore, the larger the focal spot area, the greater the
unsharpness.
Focal spot size and image sharpness
How to maximise the image
sharpness?
• Use as small an effective focal spot as practical. 0.4mm spot
size is recommended for dental x-ray machines.
• The smaller the target angle, the smaller the focal spot size, and the
greater the sharpness.
• However, this increases the heat generated per unit of the target
area which impacts the machine’s lifespan.
• Increase the distance between the focal spot and the object
by using a long, open-ended cylinder
• This helps to reduce the x-ray beam divergence.
• Minimize the distance between the object and the image
receptor.
• This also reduces the beam divergence.
2. Image size distortion
• Image size distortion (magnification) is the increase in size of
the image on the radiograph compared with the actual size of
the object.
• It is caused by the divergent paths of photons due to the
small source-to-image distance (SID) and/or large object-to-
image distance (OID).
• Increasing SID and/or decreasing OID reduce(s) magnification.
• The use of a long, open-ended cylinder as an aiming
device on an x-ray machine thus reduces the magnification of
images on a periapical view
• This also improves sharpness as discussed in a previous slide.
3. Image shape distortion
• Image shape distortion is the result of unequal magnification
of different parts of the same object.
• This situation arises when not all the parts of an object are at
the same focal spot-to-object distance (SID).
• Image shape distortion is minimized when the long axes of the image
receptor and tooth are parallel and the central ray is oriented
perpendicular to both the object and image receptor.
• Foreshortening occurs when the central ray of the x-ray
beam is perpendicular to the image receptor, but the object is
not parallel to the image receptor.
• Elongation occurs when the x-ray beam is oriented at right
angles to the object but not to the image receptor
4. Image shape distortion in
bisecting angle technique
In the bisecting angle technique,
• Inadequate angulation leads to elongation.
• Conversely, excess angulation results in foreshortening.
5. Egg shell effect
• The egg shell effect is the projectional geometry effect
explaining the reasons why:
• Lamina Dura and the border of the cortical expansile tumor
appear brighter in dental imaging, while they are not radio-
opaque structures.
• The cause of the egg-shell effect is
that we are taking a 2D image of a
3D object.
• The beam passing the tangential
aspect of the object takes a long
way, which consequently reduces
their energy to be easily
attenuated.
• X-rays passing tangentially as in
lamina dura experience more
attenuation with a resultant radio-
opaque appearance, than those
passing perpendicularly.
• [Link]
=vlIuw4PiVnE
• [Link]
=92iyHtUaAf4
References
• Themes UFO. 6. Projection geometry [Internet]. Pocket
Dentistry. 2015 [cited 2025 Feb 27]. Available from:
[Link]
• [Link]
• [Link]
• Iannucci & Howerton: Dental Radiography Principles and
Techniques, 6th Edition, Chapter 6, CC BY-NC-ND