Question 10. Write short note on OPG.
Or
Write short note on uses of panoramic radiography.
Answer. Full form of OPG is Orthopantomography. It is also called as panoramic radiography or rational radiography. Panoramic radiography is a radiographic procedure that produces a single tomographic image of the facial structures including both maxillary and mandibular arches and their supporting structures.
Orthopantomography Indications/Uses
- As a substitute for full mouth intraoral periapical radiographs.
- For evaluation of developmental anomalies and TMJ dysfunction.
- For evaluation of tooth development for children, the mixed dentition and also the age.
- To assist and assess the patient for and during orthodontic treatment.
- To establish the site and size of lesions such as cysts, tumors and developmental anomalies in the body and ramus of the mandible.
- For follow-up of treatment, progress of pathology or postoperative bony healing.
- Prior to any surgical procedures such as extraction of impacted teeth, enucleation of cyst, etc.
- For detection of fractures of the middle third and the mandible aftr facial trauma.
- To study the antrum, especially to study the flor, posterior and anterior walls of the antrum.
- Periodontal disease as an overall view of the alveolar bone levels.
Read And Learn More: Orthodontics Question And Answers
Orthopantomography Advantages
- Convenient for the patient and requiring very little patient compliance.
- Useful in patients with trismus and gagging problems.
- Time required is minimal compared to a full mouth intraoral periapical radiographs.
- The patient exposure dose is relatively low compared to a full mouth intraoral periapical radiographs.
- Panoramic radiographs taken for diagnostic purpose are valuable visual aid in patient education.
- The anatomical structures are most identifible and the teeth are oriented in their correct relationship to the adjacent structures and to each other.
- It allows for the assessment of the presence and position of unerupted teeth in orthodontic treatment.
- It demonstrates periodontal disease in a general way. Manifesting a generalized bone loss.
- This view helps in localization of objects/pathology in conjunction with a topographic occlusal view or an intraoral periapical radiograph.
Orthopantomography Disadvantages
- Areas of diagnostic interest outside the focal trough may be poorly visualized, e.g. swelling on the palate, flor of the mouth.
- Comparatively this radiograph is of a poor diagnostic quality, in terms of magnifiation, geometric distortion, poor defiition and loss of detail.
- There is an overlapping of the teeth in the bicuspid area of the maxilla and the mandible.
- In cases of pronounced inclination, the anterior teeth are poorly registered.
- The density of the spine, especially in short necked people can cause lack of clarity in the central portion of the fim.
- Number of radiopaque and radiolucent areas may be present due to the superimposition of real/double or ghost images and because of sof tissue shadows and air spaces.
- Due to prescribed rotation, patient with facial asymmetry or patients who do not conform to the rotation curvature cannot be X-rayed with any degree of satisfaction.
- Artifacts are easily misinterpreted and are more commonly seen, e.g. nose ring as a periapical radiopaque lesion, earring as a calcifiation in the maxillary sinus.
- OPG shows an oblique, rather than true lateral view of the condylar heads and hence, the joint space cannot be accurately assessed.
- The cost of the machine is very high.
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