Orthopantogram and cephalogram is a kind of dental x-rays. An OPG produces wide views of the lower and upper jaws while a cephalogram is an x-ray of facial structures. A horizontal cephalogram produces a side profile picture of the face, jaws, and delicate tissue to evaluate the connection of the teeth to the jaws, the jaws to skull, and the connection of the delicate tissues to the teeth and jaws. A focused x-ray machine is used to generate the scans. During an OPG test, a part of the equipment will turn around the patient's head while they stay in one position either standing or sitting position.

The Cephalogram is an x-ray which produces the side views of the face with very precise positioning and to determine the current and future connection of the upper and lower jaws.

WHY IS IT DONE?

Orthopantogram (OPG) is a close up image of the lower and upper jaws. The OPG provides information about the sensitive mouths. Doctors can also observe the infections, tumors, jaw joint defects, broken bones, etc with the help of OPG scan. It helps in the treatment of the teeth that includes dental implants, root canal treatment, crowns, and bridges. Child dentistry is also used OPG to observe the development of the new teeth under the baby teeth. It is a painless, quick and the patients are in contact with a minimal amount of low-level radiation.

HOW IS IT DONE?

You don’t need to change your clothes; you can wear a normal one. Our expert asks you to remove all the jewelry, earrings, or any metallic objects. You will be asked to stand and you will need to adjust your head according to your comfort. Then, a pair of cone-shaped plastic is gently positioned in each ear like a headphone. This position ensures an exact view of the face and helps to feel comfortable during the procedure.

During the examination, the expert will ask you to rest your chin on a plastic rest and you will need to bite the mouthpiece. A part of the machine will rotate around your head and images are being taken. This procedure may take a maximum of 10 minutes.

Tips before going to the procedure:

• If you are pregnant or thinking you may be pregnant, tell your doctor before going to the procedure because there may be a small risk that radiation can harm the fetus.
• Tell your doctor if you have any difficulty in standing for a longer time.