Panoramic Radiology: Role in ADA/FDA Use Guidelines

Abstract

The proper selection of a radiographic examination requires professional judgment based upon the individual patient’s clinical history and examination. The ADA/FDA Selection Criteria are meant as a Guideline to supplement professional judgment in radiograph selection for the asymptomatic dental patient. The latest version of the Guidelines include greater emphasis on the use of panoramic radiography than hithertofore.

A comprehensive oral and dental screening is part of the baseline pretreatment workup for all first time appointments of “new” dental patients. This workup generally includes selected radiographic examinations based both upon the oral history of signs and symptoms of dental disease and clinical inspection of the patient by the dentist. Selected radiographs are also needed in asymptomatic patients to examine areas at high risk of insidious disease that cannot be readily inspected directly. Moreover, selected radiographic examinations are also needed at periodic follow up of patients, again dependent primarily on signs and symptoms of disease, but also based upon clinical evaluation of disease risk in patients free of symptoms of oral disease.