{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,10,14]],"date-time":"2026-10-14T21:26:32Z","timestamp":1792013192392,"version":"4.4.0"},"reference-count":23,"publisher":"MDPI AG","issue":"7","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2025,4,2]],"date-time":"2025-04-02T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1743552000000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"}],"content-domain":{"domain":[],"crossmark-restriction":false},"short-container-title":["Diagnostics"],"abstract":"<jats:p>Background\/Objectives: Rectangular collimation (RC) reduces patient radiation exposure but is uncommonly used due to cone-cut concerns. An audit at a dental practice was conducted to analyze impact of RC on the quality of intraoral radiographs. Methods: Four X-ray tubes with RC were used. 360 intraoral X-rays were collected, blinded and scored to pre-set qualitative criteria: maximum 14 points for bitewing radiographs (BWs), and 13 for periapical radiographs (PAs). Quality of the X-rays was assessed. Results: We found that 48.1% were acceptable, 32.5% were unacceptable and only 19.4% were good X-rays. The loss of image quality was unrelated to RC. Three cone-cuts occurred in PAs without RC. The mean scores for PAs performed without or with RC were as follows: 9.3 \u00b1 1.9 points and 9.6 \u00b1 1.9 points, respectively (p = 0.166). The mean scores for BWs performed without or with RC were as follows: 8.0 \u00b1 1.9 points and 7.1 \u00b1 1.9 points, respectively (p &lt; 0.001). All scores declined over time. Conclusions: This audit highlighted the need for refresher training on film-holder use and the importance of regular maintenance of dental X-ray equipment. Decline in X-ray quality over time was related to wear and tear of X-ray equipment, incorrect image contrast, and technical errors unrelated to RC. No cone-cuts occurred when using RC.<\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.3390\/diagnostics15070911","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2025,4,2]],"date-time":"2025-04-02T16:26:31Z","timestamp":1743611191000},"page":"911","update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3390\/mdpi_crossmark_policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":5,"title":["Impact of Rectangular Collimation on Quality of Intraoral Radiographs: Findings from a Clinical Audit at a Dental Practice"],"prefix":"10.3390","volume":"15","author":[{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0003-1871-4178","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Lydia","family":"Vazquez","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Orofacial Rehabilitation, University Clinics of Dental Medicine (CUMD), University of Geneva, 1211 Geneva, Switzerland"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Anna","family":"Muresan","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Barras & Associates, Avenue de France 6, 1950 Sion, Switzerland"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Cristina","family":"Zarauz","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Orofacial Rehabilitation, University Clinics of Dental Medicine (CUMD), University of Geneva, 1211 Geneva, Switzerland"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]}],"member":"1968","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2025,4,2]]},"reference":[{"key":"ref_1","unstructured":"(2025, March 03). United Nations Scientific Committee on the Effects of Atomic Radiation. Available online: https:\/\/www.unscear.org\/unscear\/uploads\/documents\/publications\/UNSCEAR_2020_21_Annex-A_Attach_A-2.pdf."},{"key":"ref_2","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Whaites, E., and Drage, N. (2019). Radiographie et Radiologie Dentaires, Livre Traduit et Adapt\u00e9 de la 5e Edition; Elsevier Masson.","DOI":"10.1016\/B978-2-294-74352-8.00010-1"},{"key":"ref_3","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"84","DOI":"10.1111\/idj.12411","article-title":"Evidence on radiation dose reduction using rectangular collimation: A systematic review","volume":"69","author":"Shetty","year":"2019","journal-title":"Int. Dent. J."},{"key":"ref_4","unstructured":"(2025, March 03). International Atomic Energy Agency. 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