Location of abnormalities in panoramic radiographs of edentulous patients

A series of 308 panoramic radiographs of edentulous patients was examined for the presence of pathoses to determine whether any predictive basis could be found for occurrence of abnormalities by sex, age, or location. Radiolucencies, radiopacities, and retained roots and teeth were recorded by size and by anterior or posterior location in edentulous jaws. Radiopacities were the most frequently found abnormality (18% of subjects), followed by retained roots (8%), radiolucencies (3%), and retained teeth (3%). No significant correlation was found by chi-square test between type or location of abnormality and sex of the patient. There was, however, a significant relationship between location and type of abnormality. Radiopaque and radiolucent lesions were more frequently found in the mandible, and unerupted teeth and retained roots were more frequently seen in the posterior maxilla. Selective radiographs to detect retained roots and unerupted teeth in the posterior maxilla may be most productive in terms of prosthodontic treatment outcome. Otherwise, this study finds no basis for selection of intraoral sites for specific intraoral radiographs of asymptomatic edentulous patients.