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features Errors in Panoramic Radiography

Errors in panoramic radiography are usually from two different sources: patient positioning errors and darkroom errors (film-based radiography). In this self-tutorial, several radiographs are included to demostrate patient positioning errors. Please review the six examples of most common errors in panoramic radiography. Eliminating these common errors will provide us with better diagnosis.

Panoramic Erros Case 2

Any foreign object that can be removed during the radiographic procedure, must be removed. This includes denture (as seen in this image), ear rings, eye glasses, or chewing gum. There may be many other objects in the mouth or facial area that will degrade a panoramic radiograph. A tongue-ring may be difficult to remove. This image has another positioning error. Patient's head is rotated. The right ramus is further away from the film, and is magnified. The left ramus has narrow anterior-posterior width. For the same positioning error, the crown of mandibular right molar is wider than the left molar. In dentulous patients, the size of crowns and roots of the teeth are good indicators of rotation of the head. In cases of hemimandibular hyperplasia, such image discrepancy may become prominent.