Prevalence of Errors and Number of Retakes in Panoramic Radiography: Influence of Professional Training and Patient Characteristics

Eliana Dantas Costa; Wilson Gustavo Cral; Fernanda Pinto Murad; Matheus Lima Oliveira; Glaucia Maria Bovi Ambrosano & Deborah Queiroz Freitas

Summary

Panoramic radiography has clinical importance in several dental specialties. The objective of this study was to evaluate the influence of professionals’ experience and patient characteristics (age group and dental absence) in the prevalence of errors and the number of retakes in the panoramic radiography.771 panoramic radiographs were evaluated and classified according to the group of patients (children, dentulous adults, total edentulous adults, and anterior edentulous adults) and professionals who performed the technique (novice and experienced). The association between frequency and type of error, group of patients, professionals’ experience, and number of retakes was performed by the Chi-square and Fisher’s exact test (a=0.05). There was no significant association between the frequency of errors or retakes of the radiographs and the professionals’ experience or patients’ characteristics (p<0.05). The errors “turned head” and “tongue not against the palate,” “chin tipped low”, “chin not resting on the support,” “patient movement during exposure,” and “lead apron artifact” showed significantly higher frequency of retake (p<0.05). The most frequent type of error was due to the failure to position the tongue against the palate for all patients and both groups of professionals. The frequency of errors in the panoramic radiography occurs regardless of the professionals’ experience, and age and dental absence of the patients. Error occurs mainly due to the lack of patient collaboration, and the examination is rarely repeated by the professionals.

KEY WORDS: radiography; diagnosis; radiology.

How to cite this article

COSTA, E. D.; CRAL, W. G.; MURAD, F. P.; OLIVEIRA, M. L.; AMBROSANO, G. M. B. & FREITAS, D. Q. Prevalence of errors and number of retakes in panoramic radiography: Influence of professional training and patient characteristics. Int. J. Odontostomat., 15(3):719-726, 2021.