This document discusses normal radiographic landmarks of teeth and supporting structures. It describes the appearance of enamel, dentin, cementum, and pulp chambers. It also outlines landmarks of the maxilla like the zygomatic process, pterygoid plates, maxillary sinus and nasal aperture. For the mandible, it identifies the symphysis, genial tubercles, lingual foramen, mental ridge, and coronoid process. Common restorative materials and their radiopacity are also mentioned. The document is intended as a guide to interpreting normal dental radiographs.

1. NORMAL
RADIOGRAPHIC
LANDMARKS
AAKRITI
AGGARWAL
BDS
BATCH 2016

2. CONTENTS
TEETH
SUPPORTING
DENTOALVEOLAR
STRUCTURES
MAXILLA AND MIDFACIAL
BONES
MANDIBLE

3. TEETH
ENAMEL -outermost
radioopaque layer of the
crown of tooth.
DENTIN-Radioopaque but less
than enamel
Found beneath enamel layer
and surrounds pulp cavity.it
comprises most of the tooth

4. CEMENTUM-Usually not
apparent radiographically
because the contrast between it
and dentin is low and also
because it is a very thin layer
PULP CHAMBER- it consists of
pulp chamber and root canal.it
appears radiolucent.

6. In mesiobuccal root of maxillary
molar there is superimposititon
of two pulp canals which can be
distinguished radiographically
when radiographs are taken at
different horizontal angulations.
CBCT imaging is useful in
evaluating multiple pulp canals

7. SUPPORTING
DENTOALVEOLAR
STRUCTURES

8. LAMINA DURA
Thin radioopaque layer of dense
bone around tooth socket

9. CORTICAL BONE
 Dense outer layer of bone
 More radioopaque than adjacent
cancellous bone.

10. CANCELLOUS BONE
Also called as trabecular bone
Lies between cortical plates in
both jaws
Appear as thin radioopaque
plates and rods surrounding
many small radiolucent
pockets of marrow.

12. ALVEOLAR CREST
 Appears as a radioopaque line
between two teeth
 Normal level-0.5 -2mm apical to
cej of adjacent tooth
 Level recedes with age or any
periodontal disease
 Continuous with lamina dura and
forms a sharp angle with it

14. Periodontal ligament space
 Radiolucent space
between root and
lamina dura
 Begins with
alveolar crest on
side of the tooth
and ends on the
other side

16. INTERMAXILLARY SUTURE
-Appears as thin
radiolucent line
present between
the central
incisors.
It is bounded on
both sides by
dense ro cortical

17. NASAL APERTURE
seen as
bilateral
radioopaque
line on the
periapical
views of
maxillary

19. INCISIVE FORAMEN
on radiographs it
is projected
between roots
and apical thirds
of central incisors
as ovoid
radiolucency with
diffuse borders.

20.  LATERAL
FOSSA-also
called as
incisive
fossa.apperas
a diffuse
radiolucency
near the apex
of maxillary
lateral incisor.

21. MAXILLARY SINUS
 largest
paranasal sinus
 appears as thin
ro line.
 inferior portion
is seen on
periapical
radiographs.

22. ZYGOMATIC PROCESS-
present superior to first and
second molars. And articulates
with maxillary process of zygoma.
appears as u-
shaped
radioopaque line
Composed of
dense cortical
bone

23.  PTERYGOID PLATES -does not appear
always on iopas.but when they appear,seen as
radioopaque shadow with hamular process
present inferiorly.medial and lateral pterygoid
plates lie immediately posterior to maxilla.

24. MANDIBL
E

25. SYMPHYSIS-
radiolucent line
through the midline
of jaws btw
deciduous central
incisors.it usually
fuses by the end of
first year of life.

26. GENIAL
TUBERCLES-also
called as mental
spine.appear as
spine shaped
bony
protruberance on
the lingual surface
of mandible

27. LINGUAL FORAMEN
appears as
single round
radiolucent
canal with a
well defined ro
border lying in
midline below
the level of

28. MENTAL RIDGE
 on iopa of
mand CI ,seen
as two
radioopaque
lines sweeping
bilaterally
forward and
upward
towards the

29. MENTAL FOSSA
 radiolucent
area with well
defined
borders
 in the region
of labial
aspect of
anterior
mandible.

30. MENTAL
FORAMEN
seen in the apex
of second
premolar as
small round or
ovoid RL area.
Wall of foramen
consists of

31. CORONOID PROCESS
 -
appears as
triangular
radioopacity
superimposed
over or
inferior to
maxillary

32. RESTORATIVE MATERIALS
 Amalgam-completely
radioopaque
 Gold-radioopaque
 Stainless steel pins-highly
radioopaque
 Composite rest.-radiolucent
over radioopaque metal
coping.

33. REFERENCES
WHITE AND PHAROAH’S
ORAL RADIOLOGY
C ANAND KUMAR

34. AAKRITI AGGARWAL
BDS-2016-01