A new patient arrives and your dental assistant takes new radiographs. What is the FIRST thing the dentist should do upon receiving the radiographs?

Before interpreting dental radiographs diagnostically, the dentist must first evaluate their technical quality. Radiographs of inadequate quality (overexposed, underexposed, cone cuts, patient movement blur, incorrect angulation, or inadequate coverage of structures) cannot be reliably interpreted and may lead to missed pathology or false diagnoses. If the quality is inadequate, retakes should be considered (balancing diagnostic benefit against radiation exposure risk). Only after confirming acceptable quality should the dentist proceed with diagnostic interpretation. This quality assurance step is fundamental to radiographic infection control, radiation safety, and diagnostic accuracy.