Abstract
Rotational panoramic radiography is routinely used in dental practice. It has not been clarified, however, whether an accessory mental foramen can be demonstrated using this technique. The visibility of accessory mental foramina on rotational panoramic radiographs, including the influence of dry mandibles and their positioning, was compared with that on para-panoramic images reconstructed from cone-beam computed tomography (CBCT).
Four mandibular bones with accessory mental foramina were analyzed. Para-panoramic images were reconstructed from CBCT images with the accessory mental foramen using three-dimensional visualization and measurement software, and then the accessory mental foramen on rotational panoramic images was compared with that on para-panoramic images.
There was a difference in the rate of visualization of the accessory mental foramen on rotational panoramicradiographs from 20% to 95%.
These results indicated that some of the accessory mental foramen could be observed on rotational panoramic radiographs.
