Common positioning errors in dental panoramic radiography in Duhok city, Iraq

Abstract EN

Dental panoramic radiography is one of the important methods used for imaging patients’ oral contents, providing a panoramic view of both jaws and teeth on a single image; knowledge of its common positioning errors helps dentists keep its diagnostic quality by improving image quality and diagnostic accuracy.

A total of 773 panoramic radiographs were obtained from the X-ray units of Duhok important diagnostic Dental Centers, from January 2017 till February 2018.

All radiographs were classified into high-quality or low-quality ones; the high-quality radiographs were arranged into those with positioning artifacts and those free of artifacts; those with positioning artifacts were classified according to their types, frequency and causes.

High quality images, as well as images with artifacts, were commonin the studied radiographs (97% and 86%, respectively).

The most common positioning errors were improper tongue positioning, followed by ghost images and patient movement.

Knowing how to perform high quality images devoid from artifacts and errors is critical to avoid unnecessary radiograph repetitions involving unnecessary radiation exposure, and to achieve proper dental diagnostic and therapeutic outcomes.