Journal of Dental Research, Vol 68, 810-812, Copyright © 1989 by International & American Associations for Dental Research Online Journals
Efficacy of panoramic radiography in dental diagnosis and treatment planning
M. L. Kantor and B. A. Slome
School of Dentistry, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill 27599.
We compared treatment decisions based on a clinical examination alone with
decisions based on an examination plus a panoramic radiograph to determine
whether the panoramic radiograph increased the diagnostic yield and
consequently affected treatment. Provisional treatment plans, based on a
screening clinical examination alone (n = 33), or on a screening clinical
examination plus panoramic radiograph (n = 43), were compared with final
treatment plans based on a complete diagnostic assessment (including all
necessary radiographs). For this analysis, the final treatment plan was
considered correct and used as the gold standard. The two groups used in
the comparison were equivalent in age, gender, and final treatment plan
needs. The availability of a panoramic radiograph did not improve the
accuracy with which provisional treatment plans predicted the number of
teeth requiring composites, amalgams, crowns, or extraction, nor did it
improve the accuracy of the assessment of the periodontal status (Wilcoxon
rank sum, alpha = 0.05). The proportion of patients who had an intra-oral
full-mouth series as part of the complete diagnostic work-up was
essentially the same for both groups (58% and 60%, respectively); the
availability of the panoramic film did not reduce the need for full-mouth
series radiographs for the development of the final treatment plans.
