From Volume 45, Issue 10, November 2018 | Pages 977-984
Dental panoramic radiography is a commonly employed investigation in dentistry, however, its use in the primary indication of maxillary sinus disease is often underestimated. Being able to identify anomalies or abnormalities involving the maxillary sinus on radiographs will facilitate early intervention and appropriate referral to the relevant specialties.
Due to their anatomical location, the maxillary sinuses should be assessed when establishing a diagnosis for orofacial pain and any diseases relating to upper teeth.1 Dentists should be able to interpret conventional panoramic radiography, including having good knowledge of normal anatomy and its variants. For general dental practitioners (GDPs), panoramic radiography is widely accessible and is a common radiographic technique used in assessing pathosis, particularly of larger lesions not fully imaged by intra-oral radiography. Dentists are thought to prescribe 2.7 million panoramic radiographs per year in the UK, and they will often be the first to identify coincidental findings of maxillary sinus disease.2
Being able to distinguish between dental and maxillary sinus symptoms enables the dentist to determine when dental treatment is appropriate and when referral to a different specialty is more apt. Similarly, being able to interpret dental radiographs systematically will enable the dentist to identify both dental and sinus pathology competently.
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