Orthopantomographic survey

An orthopantomographic survey was carried out on patients who attended routine dental appointments. The objectives were; to find out the incidence of clinically undetected pathologies and also to ascertain if normal anatomical structures are readily visible on the radiographs. The identification of these structures is important in correct diagnosis and oral surgical procedures. The survey showed that most normal anatomical structures can be positively identified and the inter-examiner consistency was high. The survey also showed that the consistency ratio in detecting dental caries was poor. About 50% of the patients had impacted/non-erupted teeth with female patients having a higher incidence. The percentage of patients with radiolucencies and radiopacities were 11% and 19% respectively. The orthopantomogram was found to be not ideal in measuring bone loss as a high percentage of the proximal surfaces were not measurable.