The evaluation of panoramic, periapical, and cephalometric radiographic errors in dentistry

Aim: The aim of this study is to determine the effects of working days and hours on panoramic and periapical radiographic errors and investigate the association between patient-induced cephalometric radiographic errors and skeletal malocclusions. Methodology: Obtained from archives of Manisa Dental Health Center, 1402 periapical, 1329 panoramic, and 309 cephalometric radiographs were investigated retrospectively between January-June 2018, and the radiographic errors were determined. Periapical, panoramic, and total errors were grouped according to the number of radiographs, day intensity, and acquisition date and time for each day. Cephalometric radiographs were not included to determine the effects of working hours and days on radiographic errors since the radiographs were taken over the weekend. Patient-induced cephalometric radiographic errors were investigated under the classification of skeletal malocclusions. The independent sample t-test was used to investigate the average range difference between two independent groups for normally distributed variables. However, in situations where the assumption of normality was not met, the Mann-Whitney U test was performed. Results: Total errors were mostly detected on Tuesday (p=0.035). Errors of panoramic and periapical radiographs acquired in the afternoon were higher than those of the radiographs acquired before noon only on Monday (p=0.024, p=0.035). The most common errors observed in periapical radiographs were the positioning errors (23.9%) and cone cut (17.3%), respectively. The most common errors observed in panoramic radiographs were chin tipped high (17.00%), and head turned to one side (9.9%), respectively. Among Class I, II, and III malocclusions, open lips were observed as the most frequent cephalometric radiographic errors (28.6, 15.4, and 16.1%, respectively). Conclusion: The percentage of radiographic errors increases with the intense workload. An anatomical structure may lead to patient-induced cephalometric radiographic errors.   How to cite this article: Titiz S, Evirgen Ş. The evaluation of panoramic, periapical, and cephalometric radiographic errors in dentistry. Int Dent Res 2021;11(3):185-94. https://doi.org/10.5577/intdentres.2021.vol11.no3.8   Linguistic Revision: The English in this manuscript has been checked by at least two professional editors, both native speakers of English.