X-rays are created inside the X-ray head. Electrical current passes between the anode and the cathode and reaches the target area where X-rays are produced. X-rays are a form of radiation like light or radio waves. X-rays go through most objects, including the body.
The technologist carefully directs the X-ray beam toward the area of interest. The machine produces a small burst of radiation that passes through the body. Radiation records an image on a photographic film or on a special detector. A panoramic x-ray, also called a panoramic x-ray, is a two-dimensional (2D) dental x-ray that captures the entire mouth in a single image, including the teeth, upper and lower jaw, surrounding structures and tissues.
X-rays are produced inside the X-ray tube when energetic (high-speed) electrons bombard the target and stop suddenly. Panoramic dental radiography uses a very small dose of ionizing radiation to capture the entire mouth in a single image. Rather than relying on a film placed inside the mouth, a panoramic X-ray machine projects a beam through the patient onto a film or detector that rotates in the opposite direction of the X-ray tube. X-rays are produced inside machines called X-ray generating equipment, which are described in more detail in Chapter 3.
