Comparasion of the morphology of upper third molars through panoramic radiography and after extraction

Abstract

Panoramic radiography is actually one of the most used imaginologic exams in clinical dentistry. It is also very used for surgical planning of third molars extraction. However, some papers raise some discussion about the accuracy of this exam in detecting small anatomic changes and the possibility of distortion of the image. In this paper, 27 dental elements (all upper third molars) that were extracted were analyzed, and comparison between the real aspect of the root morphology of the teeth that were extracted and the number of roots with the respective image on the panoramic radiography were performed. Significant differences were detected between these two observations in the number of roots and root dilaceration.