What does a dental panoramic tomograph show?

• A. Only upper jaw
• B. Both jaws and surrounding anatomy
• C. Only lower jaw
• D. Only soft tissue

Answer: (B)

A dental panoramic tomograph provides a single broad view of both jaws and the surrounding structures. It’s produced by rotating the X-ray around the head to capture the entire upper and lower dental arches in one image, along with adjacent anatomy such as the maxillary sinuses, nasal cavity, jaw joints, and the airway. This broad overview helps in assessing tooth alignment, eruption, bone support, and pathologies across both jaws. It’s not limited to just one jaw, and while some soft tissue is visible, the image mainly highlights teeth and bone rather than soft tissues, which is why options claiming only one jaw or only soft tissue aren’t accurate.