Which statement describes the paralleling technique?

• A. Receptor is parallel to the tooth and the X-ray beam is perpendicular to both; minimizes distortion and yields more accurate images.
• B. Receptor is at a 45-degree angle to the tooth to enhance occlusal details.
• C. The X-ray beam is parallel to the receptor but at an oblique angle to the tooth.
• D. The receptor is perpendicular to the tooth and the beam is parallel to the tooth.

Answer: (A)

The key idea is that distortion is minimized when the receptor is placed parallel to the long axis of the tooth and the X-ray beam is directed perpendicularly to that receptor. In this arrangement, the central ray is at a right angle to the receptor (and thus to the tooth), so the image is formed with true dimensions and less distortion or magnification.

The statement describes exactly that setup: the receptor is parallel to the tooth, and the beam is perpendicular to both. This alignment ensures the beam hits the receptor straight on and that the tooth’s anatomy is reproduced faithfully on the radiograph.

Other described placements—receptors angled to the tooth, or the beam angled relative to the receptor while being parallel to it, or the receptor perpendicular to the tooth with the beam parallel to the tooth—lead to distortion, elongation, or foreshortening and will not produce the most accurate image.