Assessing dental students' knowledge of panoramic radiographs and the importance of normal anatomy education

This study aimed to investigate dental students' knowledge of normal anatomical structures and their competency in diagnosing jaw lesions using panoramic radiographs, as well as to compare diagnostic accuracy among three groups with different levels of anatomical knowledge.

A computer-based test, consisting of 50 panoramic radiographs (10 depicting normal anatomical structures and 40 showing jaw lesions), was conducted on November 8, 2023, at Yonsei Dental University. The 40 jaw lesions were classified into four categories: cyst, benign tumor, inflammation or malignancy, and other bone lesion. The mean score for the 10 anatomical structure questions and the mean accuracy rate for diagnosing the 40 jaw lesions were calculated. Based on their scores on the anatomical structure questions, 125 students were divided into three groups (upper, middle, and lower). The accuracy rates for diagnosing jaw lesions among these groups were statistically analyzed using the Kruskal-Wallis test (p = 0.05).

Among all students, the mean score for normal anatomical structures was 5.99 out of 10, and the mean accuracy rate for diagnosing jaw lesions was 44.8%. In the analysis of jaw lesions, the four categories exhibited significant differences in accuracy rates: cyst (53.8%), benign tumor (47.7%), inflammation or malignancy (45.0%), and other bone lesion (32.7%). The three groups based on anatomical structure scores showed significantly different accuracy rates for diagnosing jaw lesions (p < 0.05). The upper group, with the highest anatomical structure scores, achieved an accuracy rate of 54.5%, outperforming the other groups.

Knowledge of anatomical structures enhances the ability to diagnose jaw lesions using panoramic radiographs. These findings underscore the importance of anatomical education in dental curricula to improve diagnostic accuracy.