Type and location of findings in dental panoramic tomographs in 7–12-year-old orthodontic patients

Abstract

Objective The Radiation and Nuclear Safety Authority in Finland has paid attention to the large numbers of dental panoramic tomographs (DPTs), particularly in 7–12-year-old children. The majority of these radiographs are taken for orthodontic reasons. Because of the high radiosensitivity of children, the size of the irradiated field should be carefully chosen to yield the necessary diagnostic information at the lowest possible dose. The purpose of the present study was, therefore, to assess the outcome of DPTs within this age group in terms of type and location of pathological findings. It was also hypothesized that DPTs of orthodontic patients rarely display unrestored caries. Materials and methods Four hundred and forty-one DPTs, taken of 7–12-year-old children in 2010–2014, were randomly sampled. The 413 of them (94%) that had been taken for orthodontic reasons were analysed. Results All pathologic findings were restricted to the tooth-bearing area and there was no pathology in the bone structure or any incidental findings in the region of temporomandibular joint. Unlike hypothesized, 27% of the orthodontic DPTs showed caries in deciduous teeth and 16% in permanent teeth. A sub-sample of 229 DPTs, analysed for developmental dental and occlusal problems, most commonly displayed crowding (50%), positional anomalies and local problems with tooth eruption (32%), as well as hyperodontia (15%).Conclusion Inclusion of only the actual area of interest in the image field should be considered case-specifically as a means to reduce the radiation dose.