The procedure is very simple and it only takes several minutes. There is no pain or discomfort. All the patient has to do is place his head on the machine, with the help of the technician and follow the instructions. The technician will properly position your head. Pregnant women should let their dentist know beforehand, because of the radiation of the procedure. When they are taking an X-ray, you shouldn’t have any jewelry on you. So beforehand you should take off all metal objects that are on you.
The panoramic X-rays are one of the most commonly used diagnostic methods in dentistry. They are helpful in a number of cases. Usually, the dentist does an X-ray the first time the patient visits so that he can have a general insight of the oral condition. As mentioned it provides a picture of the two jaws, teeth, surrounding structures. This makes it much easier for the dentist, instead of getting small X-rays that only show parts of the oral cavity. The panoramic X-rays are called extraoral because the machine and the film are outside of the mouth while taking the image.