Panoramic Radiographs

Panoramic Radiographs - Cochrane

At Bow River Dental Centre, one of our go-to technologies is panoramic radiographs. Indeed, if you’ve recently visited your dentist, you might have seen your last panoramic dental x-ray on the treatment screen.

What Is a Panoramic Radiograph?
Panoramic radiographs are single-image dental x-rays that show your entire oral cavity and surrounding facial structures. You may have seen them referred to by their technical terms, orthopantomogram, OPT, or OPG x-ray.

As essential preventative tools, panoramic radiographs help your dentist see everything above and below the gums that cannot be seen by the naked eye. Their efficacy is further elucidated by additional dental technology like microscopes and lasers.

Image of dental x-rays at Bow River Dental Cochrane

How Are Panoramic Radiographs Used?
Checking out what lies below the surface of your gums is what dentistry is all about! While your teeth and gums have a story to tell, a panoramic radiograph is used to reveal and confirm the hard facts, such as:

Oral and/or jaw cancer tumors.
Abscesses and other tooth infections below the gum line or at the tooth’s root.
Symptoms of gum disease, specifically jaw bone loss and missing teeth.
Impacted wisdom teeth, which can cause crowding and misalignment.
Difficult-to-spot tooth decay, especially between teeth or under fillings.
Having too many or too few teeth, known as hyper- or hypodontia.

Panoramic radiographs are also essential for referrals. There are many circumstances where your dentist will need to share a comprehensive view of your current oral health with another dental practitioner, like an orthodontist or specialized surgeon. A panoramic radiograph is ideal here, as it is the quintessential picture worth a thousand words!