title: Visualization of the superior and inferior borders of the mandibular canal: a comparative study using digital panoramic radiographs and cross-sectional computed tomography images.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To evaluate the visibility of the superior and inferior borders of mandibular canal using panoramic radiography (PR) and cross-sectional computed tomography (CT) images.
  
  
  METHODS
  Digital panoramic images and cross-sectional CT images of 100 patients were evaluated. The mandibular canal was divided into 4 areas of equal width (1-4), from anterior to posterior. The visibility of the superior and inferior borders was assessed using a 5-point visibility scoring system, with lower scores for worse visibility.
  
  
  RESULTS
  For both modalities, the superior border showed significantly lower score than the inferior border in all areas. For the superior border, areas 1, 2, and 3 all showed significantly lower scores than area 4 for PR, whereas only area 1 showed a lower score than area 4 for CT.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The visibility of the superior border was very poor on panoramic images. The use of cross-sectional CT images remarkably improved this poor visualization.
authors.affiliation: Oral and Maxillofacial Radiology, Graduate School, Tokyo Medical and Dental University, Tokyo, Japan.
authors.forename: Nahar
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Kamrun
authors.forename: Akemi
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Tetsumura
authors.forename: Yoshikazu
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Nomura
authors.forename: Satoshi
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Yamaguchi
authors.forename: Otto
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Baba
authors.forename: Shin
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Nakamura
authors.forename: Hiroshi
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Watanabe
authors.forename: Tohru
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Kurabayashi
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D059925:Anatomic Landmarks / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D019412:Anatomy, Cross-Sectional; D015921:Dental Implants; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007570:Jaw Cysts / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D008297:Male; D008334:Mandible / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D008336:Mandibular Diseases / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D008337:Mandibular Fractures / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D008339:Mandibular Neoplasms / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D008875:Middle Aged; D061330:Multidetector Computed Tomography / Q000379:methods*; D010019:Osteomyelitis / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D010347:Patient Care Planning; D011856:Radiographic Image Enhancement / Q000379:methods; D019252:Radiography, Dental, Digital / Q000379:methods*; D011862:Radiography, Panoramic / Q000379:methods*; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D015921:Dental Implants