The objective of this manual is to train dental office staff in the basics of radiography, radiotherapy equipment, “ALARA”, infection control, films and film processing. The information provided will help reduce the exposure of patients and staff to radiation in a dental office. First, I'd like to start with an overview of x-ray. Radiography is the process of creating an image on film or a digital receiver by exposure to radiation. This x-ray allows the dental team to view and diagnose the images in hopes of providing the patient with appropriate oral health care. X-rays were discovered by Wilhelm Conrad Roentgen and he received the Nobel Prize in Physics in 1901 for his discovery. Professor Roentgen's breakthrough allowed others to build on his work and increase its usefulness in areas such as dentistry, particularly oral radiography in dental practices. Second, I will discuss the types of equipment used in dental offices. The dental x-ray machine is a common device in dental offices. Other machines used are the panoramic x-ray machine and the Nomad, a portable x-ray machine. Dental x-ray machines differ in size and appearance, but they all have these parts in common, the tube head, control panel and extension arm. I will go into more detail in the next paragraph. The tube head in an x-ray machine is sealed in a metal case and contains insulating oils, step-up transformer, step-down transformer, filament circuit, lead collimator, anode, cathode. , tube head gasket and leaded glass or aluminum. The control panel is on a wall, a safe distance from the radiation exposure area, so that it can be used safely. On the control panel you will find selection buttons...... middle of paper ......e becomes compromised. Other issues such as pressure or bending of the film can cause film haze. Other chemicals can also contaminate the film, so proper storage is important. Heat and humidity must also be taken into account when storing the film, as accidental exposure to light will also ruin the film. In brief, this manual provides an overview of radiography, x-ray equipment, the ALARA principle, infection control, film and its treatment. The objective is to deepen the understanding of these concepts, facilitate implementation in practice and improve patient and operator safety. ://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aribex#Portable_X-Ray_Device http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Infection_control http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hygiene http://www.sfvds.org /fil_files/19.pdf