2018 Volume 71 Issue 12 Pages 713-718
We devised a new method of determining the incident beam angle for the bisecting angle technique in canine dental X-ray examinations. In this method, the X-ray beam is directed along the bisector of the angle between the extra-oral extension of the film plane and the long axis of the tooth. We conducted a validation study using a model consisting of a skull and a mock film to compare three methods of the bisecting angle technique: our newly devised method, the conventional method, and another recently proposed method. Each method was evaluated for simplicity, which was defined as the time that it takes to determine the incident beam angle, accuracy in the rate of image size distortion, and precision as its variability. These parameters were compared among the three methods on the first trial, as well as on subsequent trials to see if a learning curve was involved. Our method showed the shortest time for beam angle determination, accuracy similar to that of the other methods, and little variability, suggesting that it may be easy to understand and simple to use even for beginners.