Dental Health Procedures & Treatments How Panoramic X-Rays Are Used in Dentistry By Shawn Watson Updated on April 02, 2024 Medically reviewed by Brian T. Luong, DMD Fact checked by Jennifer Klump Print A panoramic X-ray is a two-dimensional X-ray used in the dental field. It displays both jaws, the upper and lower, as well as the teeth, on the same film. These images are sometimes called "panorex" after an original model of the X-ray machine. David Sacks / The Image Bank / Getty Images Uses Panorex films have several uses since they expose areas of the jaw that cannot be detected by traditional X-ray film. The two-dimensional images are used by dentists for the following: Diagnose advanced periodontal disease Assess temporomandibular joint disorder (TMJ) Detect early oral cancer Orthodontic assessments of the jaw and tooth development including the number, position, and growth of all the teeth including those that have not yet surfaced. It is different from the small close up X-rays dentists take of individual teeth. Wisdom teeth impaction Assess dental restorations Detect sinus problems that cause tooth pain Dental surgery preparation Your dentist may also refer you to have 3D X-rays taken with newer X-ray machines. Process During the panorex X-ray, the patient is asked to bite down on a special tool that assists the operator in positioning the patients head in the correct position. The patient is asked to stay very still while the panorex machine travels around the outside of the patients head. The image is either displayed digitally on a computer or processed onto traditional X-ray film, to be used by the dentist. Your dentist may recommend a panorex x-ray when necessary for your specific situation. 4 Sources Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read our editorial process to learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy. Izzetti R, Nisi M, Aringhieri G, Crocetti L, Graziani F, Nardi C. Basic knowledge and new advances in panoramic radiography imaging techniques: A narrative review on what dentists and radiologists should know. Appl Sci. 2021;11(17):7858. doi:10.3390/app11177858 Sams CM, Dietsche EW, Swenson DW, DuPont GJ, Ayyala RS. Pediatric panoramic radiography: techniques, artifacts, and interpretation. Radiographics. 2021;41(2):595-608. doi:10.1148/rg.2021200112 Joo YH, Cho JK, Koo BS, et al. Guidelines for the surgical management of oral cancer: Korean Society of Thyroid-Head and Neck Surgery. Clin Exp Otorhinolaryngol. 2019;12(2):107-144. doi:10.21053/ceo.2018.01816 Chen SL, Chen TY, Huang YC, et al. Missing teeth and restoration detection using dental panoramic radiography based on transfer learning with CNNs. IEEE Access. 2022;10:118654-118664. doi:10.1109/ACCESS.2022.3220335 By Shawn Watson Shawn Watson is an orthodontic dental assistant and writer with over 10 years of experience working in the field of dentistry. See Our Editorial Process Meet Our Medical Expert Board Share Feedback Was this page helpful? Thanks for your feedback! What is your feedback? Other Helpful Report an Error Submit