[The image quality of extraoral x-ray pictures].

A check was made on 594 X-ray examinations of ambulant oral surgery patients (= 1378 single pictures in several radiographic techniques). A good quality had 72% of the pictures. A decreased quality had 23% of them. A diagnosis was still possible. 5% of pictures were useless. Radiographic techniques were used in 8% of the 594 X-ray examinations with not optimal methods for the intended aim. In these cases it were better to change to other methods (other focussing or other apparatus).