Radiographic TechniqueQuestion 44 of 100
A panoramic image shows a blurred radiopaque shape on the opposite side of the arch, higher than the real object. What is this artifact and how is it prevented?
a.A cone cut, prevented by aligning the PID
b.Reticulation, prevented by controlling solution temperature
c.A ghost image, prevented by removing earrings, necklaces, and other metal objects before the exposure
d.Elongation, prevented by increasing vertical angulation
Explanation
A ghost image is created when the rotating beam passes through a dense object such as an earring twice, projecting a blurred, magnified duplicate on the opposite side and slightly higher. Removing all jewelry, eyeglasses, hairpins, and removable appliances before the exposure prevents it. Cone cut, reticulation, and elongation are intraoral or processing errors unrelated to this rotating-beam phenomenon.
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