Radiographic TechniqueQuestion 32 of 100
A processed periapical image shows teeth that appear stretched and longer than they actually are. What caused this error?
a.Excessive horizontal angulation
b.Excessive vertical angulation
c.Insufficient vertical angulation
d.The receptor was placed backward
Explanation
Elongation results from insufficient vertical angulation, which projects an image longer than the actual tooth. Excessive vertical angulation causes the opposite error, foreshortening, in which teeth appear too short. Horizontal angulation errors produce overlapped contacts rather than length distortion, and a reversed receptor produces a light image with a herringbone pattern.
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