title: Type and location of findings in dental panoramic tomographs in 7-12-year-old orthodontic patients.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The Radiation and Nuclear Safety Authority in Finland has paid attention to the large numbers of dental panoramic tomographs (DPTs), particularly in 7-12-year-old children. The majority of these radiographs are taken for orthodontic reasons. Because of the high radiosensitivity of children, the size of the irradiated field should be carefully chosen to yield the necessary diagnostic information at the lowest possible dose. The purpose of the present study was, therefore, to assess the outcome of DPTs within this age group in terms of type and location of pathological findings. It was also hypothesized that DPTs of orthodontic patients rarely display unrestored caries.
  
  
  METHODS
  Four hundred and forty-one DPTs, taken of 7-12-year-old children in 2010-2014, were randomly sampled. The 413 of them (94%) that had been taken for orthodontic reasons were analysed.
  
  
  RESULTS
  All pathologic findings were restricted to the tooth-bearing area and there was no pathology in the bone structure or any incidental findings in the region of temporomandibular joint. Unlike hypothesized, 27% of the orthodontic DPTs showed caries in deciduous teeth and 16% in permanent teeth. A sub-sample of 229 DPTs, analysed for developmental dental and occlusal problems, most commonly displayed crowding (50%), positional anomalies and local problems with tooth eruption (32%), as well as hyperodontia (15%).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Inclusion of only the actual area of interest in the image field should be considered case-specifically as a means to reduce the radiation dose.
authors.affiliation: a Oral Radiology, Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Diseases , University of Helsinki , Helsinki , Finland ;|b Oral Healthcare Department of City of Helsinki , Helsinki , Finland ;
authors.forename: Elmira
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Pakbaznejad Esmaeili
authors.affiliation: a Oral Radiology, Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Diseases , University of Helsinki , Helsinki , Finland ;|c University Dental Clinic of City of Helsinki , Helsinki , Finland ;
authors.forename: Marja
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Ekholm
authors.affiliation: d Department of Public Health , University of Helsinki , Helsinki , Finland ;
authors.forename: Jari
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Haukka
authors.affiliation: c University Dental Clinic of City of Helsinki , Helsinki , Finland ;|e Orthodontics, Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Diseases , University of Helsinki , Helsinki , Finland.
authors.forename: Janna
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Waltimo-Sirén
mesh_terms: D000848:Anodontia / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D002648:Child; D003731:Dental Caries / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D005260:Female; D005387:Finland; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008310:Malocclusion / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D008335:Mandibular Condyle / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D010483:Periapical Diseases / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D011829:Radiation Dosage; D019252:Radiography, Dental, Digital / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D011862:Radiography, Panoramic / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D014071:Tooth Abnormalities / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D014076:Tooth Diseases / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D014078:Tooth Eruption; D014079:Tooth Eruption, Ectopic / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D014094:Tooth, Deciduous / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D014096:Tooth, Supernumerary / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging
keywords: Children; findings; orthodontics; radiation protection; radiographs