The effect of mandibular angulation on gonial angle and tooth length measurement of dental panaromic radiographs

Abstract

The aim of this study was to assess the validity of dental panoramic radiographs as a diagnostic and evaluation tool for dental implantology and removable prosthodontics. One fully dentate dry mandible was used as the radiographic model. Radiographs of the mandible were taken at various mandibular angulations. Two evaluation parameters, the gonial angle and tooth length, were determined using these radiographs. The results showed that the measurement of gonial angles remained constant at various mandibular angulations while the length of canines and second premolars significantly decreased with increasing mandibular angulations raised by 4 mm increment from 4 to 28 mm. In conclusion, panoramic radiograph technique is suitable for gonial angle determination but not for bone height measurement especially in the anterior region of the mandible where distortion was most pronounced.