Feasibility of dental panoramic radiography for dental arch evaluation in small animals

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the feasibility of dental panoramic radiography for dental arch evaluation in small animals. The dental arches of four Beagles, one Shih Tzu dog, and three Korean shorthaired cats were radiographed using human panoramic X-rays. All animals were under general anaesthesia during the examination. The animals’ heads were placed horizontal to the panoramic device, just as a human’s head is placed in panoramic dental assessments. All animals were evaluated with an open and closed mouth view (human view). In the closed mouth view, the animal was provided a bite blocker for proper placement of the oral cavity. The open mouth view angle was approximately 30–45°. The maxilla and mandible were held in position with radiolucent 3M tape. The standard scoring measurement was performed based on visibility of the tooth root and the sharpness of the dento-alveolar margin. No significant differences in scoring were noticed between the two positions. The visibility of teeth roots in Beagles was far better than that in the Shih Tzu dogs and two Korean short-haired cats. In addition, the Beagle series showed sharp dento-alveolar margin scores. These results suggest that human panoramic dental X-rays represent a possible dental evaluation tool for animals with large skulls.