Underdeveloped film
Appearance is light; inadequate development time, developer solution too cool.
Overdeveloped film
Appearance is dark; excessive developing time, developer solution too hot.
Reticulation of emulsion
Appearance is cracked; sudden temperature change between developer and water bath.
Developer spots
Appearance is dark or black spots; Developer comes in contact with film before processing.
Fixer spots
Appearance is white or light spots; fixer comes in contact with film before processing.
Yellow-brown stains
Appearance is yellow-brown color; exhausted developer or fixer insufficient fixing and rinsing time.
Developer cutoff
Appearance is straight white border; undeveloped portion of film due to low level of developer.
Fixer cutoff
Appearance is straight black border; unfixed portion of film due to low level of fixer.
Overlapped films
Appearance is white or dark areas appear on film where overlapped; two films contacting each other during processing.
Air bubbles
Appearance is white spots; air trapped on the film surface after being placed in the processing solutions.
Fingernail artifact
Appearance is black crescent-shaped marks; film emulsion damaged by operators fingernail during rough handling.
Fingerprint artifact
Appearance is black fingerprint; film touched by fingers that are contaminated with fluoride or developer.
Static electricity
Appearance is thin, black, branching lines; occurs when a film packet is opened quickly, and when a film pack is opened before radiographer touches a conductive object.
Scratched film
Appearance is white lines; soft emulsion removed from film by a sharp object.
Light leak
Appearance is exposed areas appears black; accidental exposure of film to white light.
Fogged film
Appearance is gray, lack of detail and contrast; improper safe lighting, light leaks in darkroom, outdated films, improper film storage, contaminated solutions.
Unexposed receptor
Appearance with film is the image appears clear; with digital its blank or white. The receptor was not exposed to radiation.
Film exposed to light
Appearance is the image appears black; the film was accidentally exposed to light.
Overexposed receptor
Appearance is dark or high in density; excessive exposure time, kilovoltage, or milliamperage; too much exposure time.
Underexposed receptor
Appearance is light or low in density; inadequate exposure time, kilovoltage, or milliamperage; too little exposure time.
Absence of apical structures
Appearance is no apices are seen on the image; the receptor was not positioned in the patients mouth to over the apical regions of teeth.
Dropped receptor corner
Appearance is the occlusal plan appears tipped or tilted; the edge of the receptor was not placed parallel to the incisal-occlusal surfaces of the teeth; receptor not firmly in bite block.
Overlapped contacts--incorrect horizontal angulation
Appearance is contact area of one tooth is superimposed over the adjacent tooth; the central ray was not directed through the interproximal contacts.
Foreshortened images--incorrect vertical angulation
Appearance is teeth appear short with blunted roots; the vertical angulation was excessive (too steep)
Elongated images--incorrect vertical angulation
Appearance is teeth are long and distorted; the vertical angulation was insufficient (too flat)
Cone-cut WITH beam alignment device
Appearance is clear (unexposed) areas is seen on the image; the PID was not properly aligned with the beam alignment device and the x-ray beam did not expose the entire receptor.
Incorrect placement of premolar bite-wing
Appearance the distal surfaces of canines are not visible on the image; the receptor was positioned too far back in the mouth.
Incorrect placement of Molar bite-wing
Appearance the third molar regions are not visible on the image; the receptor was positioned too far forward in the mouth.
Distorted bite-wing image-- incorrect vertical angulation
Appearance a distorted image is seen; the vertical angulation was negative instead of +10 degrees.
Bite-wing cone-cut WITH beam alignment device
Appearance with a round PID, a curved clear (unexposed) area is seen on the image; the PID was not properly aligned with the bite-wing beam alignment device.
Bite-wing cone-cut without beam alignment device
Appearance a clear (unexposed) area is seen on the image; the PID was not directed at the center of the receptor.
Bending
Appearance is the image appears stretched and distorted; during improper handling, the receptor was damaged.
Creasing
Appearance when using film, a thin radiolucent line is seen on the image; during improper handling the receptor was creased.
Debris accumulation
Appearance, debris on the surface of the sensor may cause permanent radiopaque artifacts or radiolucent scratch marks; sensors are not handled carefully or wiped off between uses.
Phalangioma
Appearance an image of the patients finger is seen on the image; the finger-holding technique, the patients finger was incorrectly positioned in front of the receptor instead of behind.
Double image
Appearance a double image results and appears dark with superimposed structures; the same receptor was exposed twice in the patients mouth.
Movement/motion unsharpness
Appearance a blurred image results; tube head, receptor, or patient movement during the exposure.
Reversed/backward placement
Appearance with film, a light image with a herringbone pattern is seen, with digital a blank or white image is seen; with film/digital the receptor was placed in the mouth backwards.