Evaluation of Image Magnification in Digital Panoramic Radiography

Introdouction: The aim of the present study was to investigate image magnification in digital panoramic radiography and assess the effect of anatomical sites on the magnification in both males and females.
In this retrospective study, digital panoramic radiographs of 48 patients with 202 implants were investigated. Implant diameter and length were measured on panoramic radiographs and the horizontal and vertical magnification rates of each placed area were calculated based on the length and width of the placed implant. A twoway ANOVA test was used to evaluate the magnification rate in regard to implant location and gender.
The range of the magnification factor of the width was 111.09–126.02, which was lowest in the maxillary molar region and greatest in the mandibular anterior region. While the lowest magnification value of the length (111.58) was observed in the mandibular molar region, the highest value (116.09) appeared in the maxillary premolar area. Hence, there were no significant differences in image magnification with regard to anatomical site and gender.
Digital panoramic radiography can be reliably used for pre-implant evaluation in various anatomical sites of the jaws in both genders.