Occlusal radiographs are radiographs that expose which part of the dental arch?

• A. Radiographs that expose the maxillary or mandibular occlusal surface of the dental arch
• B. Intraoral radiograph that shows the apex of a tooth
• C. Intraoral radiograph showing crowns in occlusion
• D. Panoramic radiographs of the jaws

Answer: (A)

Occlusal radiographs image the occlusal surfaces of the upper or lower dental arch. They use a larger field to capture a broad view of the teeth from the biting surface, which helps evaluate things like extra teeth, growth and development, crowding, and other conditions affecting the arch. This differs from other intraoral views: periapical radiographs focus on the tooth roots and apices; radiographs that show crowns in occlusion aren’t the standard description for this imaging; and panoramic radiographs show the entire jaws in one image, not the specific occlusal surfaces of the arch. So the radiograph that exposes the maxillary or mandibular occlusal surface of the dental arch is the occlusal radiograph.