Dental Radiography for Office Personnel
To expose radiographs, the Indiana State Department of Health (ISDH) requires dental personnel to be licensed. Licensure requires passing the Radiation Health and Safety component of the Dental Assisting National Board (DANB).
Passing the exam qualifies the dental personnel for licensure by the state. A law passed in 1983 requires that all individuals who operate dental x-ray equipment must be licensed. As of July 2007, dental personnel must complete an ISDH approved educational program and obtain a clinical competency certification. Once enrolled in the course, the dental personnel must apply for a provisional, limited dental radiography permit. This permit expires six months from the date of issue. There is no fee for the permit.
To be eligible to take the exam, all applicants must comply with one of the following regulations for operating diagnostic x-ray equipment:
- Satisfactory completion of a formal education program from a school whose radiography program is approved by the Commission on Dental Accreditation.
- A formal education program approved by ISDH
Course Description
This course is designed to help prepare on-the-job trained office personnel on the basic principles and techniques of dental radiography. This course will cover radiation history, radiation biology and safety, dental x-ray equipment, receptor types, processing, darkroom errors, common technique errors, anatomical landmarks, and intraoral and panoramic radiographic techniques. This course is approved by the Indiana State Department of Health.
Course Format
The course meets on three (3) Saturdays from 9:00 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. The morning session is devoted to textbook information and theory. In the afternoon session, DXTTR manikins are used to simulate patient positioning, receptor placement and exposure.
The required textbook is included in the course fee.
Course Instructor
Donna S. Krause, CDA, LDH, MPA, is a Clinical Associate Professor in the Department of Dental Education. She has taught principles and techniques of radiography for over thirty years and has extensive knowledge and experience in the field.
