Dental radiology and oral pathology

This article represents an overview of normal and pathological findings of the oral structures for the practicing radiologist. Some of the disease processes discussed are of dental etiology, whereas others are manifestations of systemic diseases. Normal tooth development is described followed by an overview of radiolucent, radiopaque, and mixed lucent-opaque lesions. In the radiolucent category, normal anatomical landmarks of the jaws include the mental foramen, manidbular canal, incisive canal and maxillary sinuses. Other lucencies that represent normal structures or variations include developing tooth buds and root apices, healing dental extraction sites, prominent submandibular fossae and nutrient canals. In the radiopaque category, normal anatomical landmarks of the jaws include the genial tubercle, mental ridge, external oblique ridge, walls of the submandibular canal, walls of the maxillary sinus, nasal septum, stylohyoid ligament, and zygomatic process. Other opacities that represent normal structures or variations include dental restoration material, dental endodontic material, retained roots, sialoliths, salivary duct calculi, calcified lymph nodes, recent extraction sites, hypercementosis, and foreign bodies. Pathological entities which present radiographically as lucencies, opacities, and mixed lucent-opaque areas include inflammatory lesions, cysts, fibro-osseous disease, benign neoplasms, malignant neoplasms, and lesions secondary to metabolic disorders.