Imaging Sci Dent.  2015 Jun;45(2):117-122. 10.5624/isd.2015.45.2.117.

A new bite block for panoramic radiographs of anterior edentulous patients: A technical report

• Park JW
• Symkhampha K
• Huh KH
• Yi WJ
• Heo MS
• Lee SS
• Choi SC

• KMID: 2054214
• DOI: http://doi.org/10.5624/isd.2015.45.2.117

Abstract

PURPOSE
Panoramic radiographs taken using conventional chin-support devices have often presented problems with positioning accuracy and reproducibility. The aim of this report was to propose a new bite block for panoramic radiographs of anterior edentulous patients that better addresses these two issues.
MATERIALS AND METHODS
A new panoramic radiography bite block similar to the bite block for dentulous patients was developed to enable proper positioning stability for edentulous patients. The new bite block was designed and implemented in light of previous studies. The height of the new bite block was 18 mm and to compensate for the horizontal edentulous space, its horizontal width was 7 mm. The panoramic radiographs using the new bite block were compared with those using the conventional chin-support device.
RESULTS
Panoramic radiographs taken with the new bite block showed better stability and bilateral symmetry than those taken with the conventional chin-support device. Patients also showed less movement and more stable positioning during panoramic radiography with the new bite block.
CONCLUSION
Conventional errors in panoramic radiographs of edentulous patients could be caused by unreliability of the chin-support device. The newly proposed bite block for panoramic radiographs of edentulous patients showed better reliability. Further study is required to evaluate the image quality and reproducibility of images with the new bite block.

Keyword

Panoramic, Radiography; Bite Block; Reproducibility of Results

MeSH Terms

Humans
Radiography, Panoramic
Reproducibility of Results

Figure

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  Fig. 1 A. The conventional bite block for anterior edentulous patients. B. The chin-support device for anterior edentulous patients.

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  Fig. 2 A and B. Two panoramic radiographs acquired from the same anterior edentulous patient using a conventional chin-support device show lack of reproducibility in the inter-maxillary vertical dimension.

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  Fig. 3 A. The new bite block for anterior edentulous patients. B. The conventional standard bite block for anterior dentulous patients.

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  Fig. 4 A. The calculation to determine the height of the new bite block. B. The horizontal distance calculation to determine the antero-posterior dimension of the new bite block.

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  Fig. 5 panoramic radiographs acquired from anterior edentulous patients using the conventional chin-support device. A. The radiograph shows insufficient inter-maxillary vertical height. B. The radiograph shows asymmetry although the patient's jaw is not asymmetrical. C. The panoramic radiographs acquired from an anterior edentulous patient using the conventional chin-support device show horizontal magnification.

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  Fig. 6 A and B. The panoramic radiographs taken using the new bite block showed a more suitable vertical height and antero-posterior position, and better bilateral symmetry than the panoramic radiographs taken using the chin-support device.

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