We have reached the one year mark of blogging and I thank all of you loyal readers.
I thought we would try something a little different this time.
With all that we have learnt over the year, I felt that it would be the right time to look at a case together.
Let’s look at this special x ray called a Panorex.
If you’ve been to the dentist and they took an x ray that went around your head, then the x ray was most likely a Panorex.
In the image above, which is a Panorex, we can see the following:
1) Wisdom Teeth: There are four in this Panorex, one in each of the four corners of the jaw. They are angulated in a forwards direction and are all impacted. This may be a good time to review the article that I wrote about Wisdom Teeth. You can find it in the ‘article’ section of the web-site.
2) Failed Root Canal on a Molar Tooth: If you look on the lower right, you can see a ‘molar’ tooth. It had a root canal and this is evident by the two opaque lines that run vertically down the roots. If you look underneath the roots of the tooth, you can see a dark black circle. This is an infection and it indicates that there is a problem…most probably a failed root canal.
3) Decay (cavity): On the lower left of the panorex – If you look closely, you can see two cavities. These appear as dark shadows in between the teeth. Maybe this individual hasn’t been flossing 🙁
Though we can see decay on the panorex, this is not the x ray that we like to use to confirm the diagnosis of a cavity. For this, we use smaller x rays called Bite Wings.
4) Sinuses: These are the large dark circular areas in the upper jaw. They are called the Maxillary sinuses and are the hollow spaces often associated with Sinusitis (congested sinuses). This can translate into tooth pain if the roots of the upper molar teeth protrude into the congested sinus. Please see blog “Roots in the Sinus” posted on March 17, 2012.
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5) Mandibular Nerve: Running along the bottom of the lower jaw, you can see a dark grey channel about 2-3 mm wide (more visible on the lower right). In this ‘channel’ is a nerve which as a dentist we have to be very cautious of when doing wisdom tooth extractions.
I hope you’ve enjoyed this little ‘Anatomy’ lesson…there’s more to come. Class dismissed!
About Dr. F. Keshavarz Dentistry
You will find our dentists and office staff to be friendly, gentle, safe and accommodating and diverse in nature. Our staff takes the time to make each person feel comfortable and treated with exceptional care.
To book an appointment, please call (905) 791-3867 today or e-mail us.
