The panoramic X-ray provides the dentist with an ear-to-ear two-dimensional view of both the upper and lower jaw. Panoramic X-rays are extremely versatile in dentistry Panoramic X-rays are preferable to bitewing X-rays when a patient is in extreme pain, and when a sinus problem is suspected to have caused dental problems. A panoramic x-ray is not conducted to give a detailed view of each tooth, but rather to provide a better view of the sinus areas, nasal areas and mandibular nerve. Unlike bitewing X-rays that need to be taken every few years, panoramic X-rays are generally only taken on an as-needed basis. Usually, dental X-rays involve the film being placed inside the mouth, but panoramic film is hidden inside a mechanism that rotates around the outside of the head. Panoramic X-rays are extraoral and simple to perform. X-rays in general, expose hidden structures, such as wisdom teeth, reveal preliminary signs of cavities, and also show fractures and bone loss. They offer a view that would otherwise be invisible to the naked eye. , RSNA and ACR are not responsible for the content contained on the web pages found at these links.Panoramic X-rays (also known as Panorex ® or orthopantomograms) are wraparound photographs of the face and teeth. Outside links: For the convenience of our users, provides links to relevant websites. Web page review process: This Web page is reviewed regularly by a physician with expertise in the medical area presented and is further reviewed by committees from the Radiological Society of North America (RSNA) and the American College of Radiology (ACR), comprising physicians with expertise in several radiologic areas. Discuss the fees associated with your prescribed procedure with your doctor, the medical facility staff and/or your insurance provider to get a better understanding of the possible charges you will incur. The costs for specific medical imaging tests, treatments and procedures may vary by geographic region. This website does not provide cost information. To locate a medical imaging or radiation oncology provider in your community, you can search the ACR-accredited facilities database. Please contact your physician with specific medical questions or for a referral to a radiologist or other physician. Images on film cannot be adjusted or changed. The digital format also allows the dentist to adjust and change the contrast, brightness and darkness of the image for better visualization of certain structures and tissues.
Your doctor can easily access these stored images to diagnose and manage your condition. Most x-ray images are electronically stored digital files. Rather than relying on film placed inside the mouth, a panoramic x-ray machine projects a beam through the patient onto film or a detector rotating opposite the x-ray tube. The radiation records an image on photographic film or a special detector.ĭuring a panoramic x-ray examination, the x-ray tube rotates in a semicircle around the patient's head, starting at one side of the jaw and ending at the other side. The machine produces a small burst of radiation that passes through your body. The technologist carefully aims the x-ray beam at the area of interest. X-rays pass through most objects, including the body. X-rays are a form of radiation like light or radio waves.