Comparative dimensional study between panoramic X-ray (OPG) and cone beam CT (CBCT)

During daily practice, we find various situations in which the 1/1 correspondence between panoramic x-ray (OPG) and reality seems not to be respected. In the studied literature, there are articles on this subject, but our study was made based on cases in a highly frequented dental imaging clinic in Bucharest. The study was carried out on a number of 24 patients selected from the radiology department. Using Romexis Viewer software, with soft’s specific feature, measurements have been made (in approximately horizontal and approximately vertical axis) in three different areas: anterior, bicuspid and molar. Various results have been obtained, depending on the studied area. CBCT measured length of anterior teeth was higher than that measured on OPG, in the majority of cases. Molar width (mesio-distal distance) parameter variation was very small between OPG and CBCT.