Background and Aims: Overlapping of the proximal surfaces of posterior teeth in the Panoramic radiography is a major concern. Therefore, an option has been developed in the Panoramic unit of Planmeca Promax, namely improved interproximal mode. This mode causes lower horizental angle with the teeth contact region during the unit rotation decreasing overlapping of the Panoramic images of the posterior teeth especially premolar teeth. The present study was done to compare the overlapping of posterior teeth using two techniques of improved interproximal Panoramic program and standard Panoramic.Materials and Methods: In this diagnostic study, 32 patients requiring Panoramic radiographies at their posterior teeth during their routine diagnosis and treatment process with the mean age of 27.3 years were participated. No patients showed crowding of posterior teeth or missed and restored posterior teeth. The participants' Panoramic radiographies were randomly taken by two techniques of improved interproximal Panoramic and standard Panoramic using Planmeca Promax device. The overlapping of the Panoramic images was blindly assessed by an oral radiologist. The overlapping in both techniques was reported by frequency and percentage. The comparisons were done by Chi-square test between two techniques and the odds ratio of overlapping was estimated using regression analysis.Results: In standard Panoramic techniques, 38.5% (148 contacts of 384 contacts) of the proximal surfaces overlapped while the overlapping of the proximal surfaces was observed in 18.8% (72 contacts of 384 overall contacts) in improved interproximal technique. Significant differences were noted between two techniques regarding overlapping (P<0.001). Also 66.4% and 39.1% of 4-5 teeth contacts overlapped in standard and improved techniques. The values were reported to be 39.1% and 12.5% in contacts of 5-6 teeth and 10.2% and 4.7% in the contacts of 6-7 teeth in both techniques, respectively. The overlapping odds ratio in improved technique as compared to standard techniques was 2.72 more. While the odds ratio of overlapping in the contact regions of 4-5 and 5-6 teeth was 16.4 and 4.61 as compared to the contact region of 6-7 teeth (all: P<0.001). The lower or upper jaw with the patients' mouth side did not significantly influence the overlapping of the proximal surfaces in both Panoramic techniques.Conclusion: Under the limitations of this study, improved interproximal Panoramic significantly reduced the overlapping of proximal surfaces in the Panoramic radiographies of posterior teeth as compared to the standard Panoramic technique. Therefore, it can be used to detect proximal caries in the posterior teeth as a diagnostic tool. Using this option may affect other part of Panoramic image which should be investigated in other research.

Background and Aim: Impaction of maxillary cuspids is the most common after third molars with 1% to 3% prevalence. Localization of these impacted teeth may affect orthodontic or surgical treatment plan. Therefore, different techniques have been introduced to localize impacted canines. The present study was conducted to compare the accuracy of Panoramic, tube shift and Panoramic plus palpation in determination of the position of maxillary impacted canine.Materials and Methods: 47 patients (20 females, 27 males) with the age of more than 12 years (mean age of 25.4 years old) whom referred to Dental School, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, with at least one impacted maxillary canine included. An oral and maxillofacial radiologist localized impacted canine first by using Panoramic then tube shift technique blindly. After that, an oral and maxillofacial surgeon localized the canine by Panoramic and palpation of the area before surgery. Data obtained from radiologist and surgeon were compared with true location of canine after surgery. Statistical analysis was done using sensitivity and specificity.Results: Among total 47 impacted maxillary canines, 11 cases (23.4%) showed buccal impactions and 36 cases (76.6%) palatal impactions. Sensitivity (ability of technique to localize palatal impaction) of all of the techniques were same (100%) but specificity (ability of technique to localize buccal impaction) of tube shift (100%) was more than two others (0%).Conclusion: The tube shift technique was the most accurate technique to localize maxillary unerupted canines compared to the others. Due to the ability of Panoramic and Panoramic with palpation in prediction of palatal canine impactions and failure of these techniques to predict buccal impactions, both methods are not suitable in localization of impacted maxillary canines and they must be used as adjunctive techniques.

Background and Aim: Digital subtraction Radiography (DSR) is a method of accurate assessing condylar head changes. several studies have been carried out in applying DSR in dentistry, however there is a few number of studies in efficacy of DSR method in assessment of condylar head changes, The aim of this study was to compare Panoramic radiography and DSR detecting simulated lesions of the mandibular condyl.Materials and Methods: this was a process research study, in which two dry human skulls with no obvious temporomandibular joint pathology were used. Osteophytic lesions were simulated using three sizes of bone chips that were placed on the medial portion of anterior and superolateral aspects of the condyle. Osteolytic lesions were simulated making 1 and 2 mm holes using round burr in the central portion of anterior aspect and Lateral pole of the condyle. Panoramic radiographs were prepared with and without the lesions in place. These paired radiographs were digitized and digital- subtraction images of the original Panoramic images were obtained. Eight observers evaluated 155 images of each modality for the presence or absence and the type of simulated lesions of the mandibular condyle. Sensitivity, specificity, reliability and measure of agreement were analyzed using kappa test and crossed tables and qualitative variables were assess by chi-square and fisher’s Exact test.Results: Specificity of Panoramic and DSR methods were 15.4% and 66.7% respectively. Sensitivity of Panoramic and DSR methods were 61.1% and 80.6% for osteophytic lesions and 37.5% and 83.3% for Osteolytic lesions. The percentage of correct decisions made in DSR method was significantly more than conventional Panoramic method (82.6%vs 41.9%) (p<0.0001).Conclusion: Based on the results of this study digital subtraction technique was significantly more accurate than the Panoramic radiographs in detection of simulated lesions of the mandibular condyle.

Background: Identification of human remains is the first essential phase of forensic investigation and is significant for subsequent analyses. Mandible is the most dimorphic, largest, and hardest bone of skull and plays a decisive role in sex determination, especially when the complete skull is not available. This study aimed to examine the accuracy of mandibular ramus assessment in sex discrimination using Panoramic radiography. Methods: A total of 135 Panoramic radiographs (68 males and 67 females; aged 0-75 years) were retrieved from the database of the Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Radiology, Ahvaz Jundishapur University of Medical Sciences, Iran and divided into five groups: 4-14, 16-30, 31-45, 45-60, and 6175 years. The following four parameters were measured on the radiographs utilizing the mouse-driven method to determine sex: coronoid height (CRH), ramus height (RH), mandibular body height (MBH), and bicondylar breadth (BB). The radiographs were processed using the SCANORA ® software. Data were analyzed using receiver operating characteristics (ROC) graphs, t test, and the IBM SPSS software version 22. 0 (IBM Corp., Armonk, N. Y., USA). Results: The percentage of certainty of each variable regarding the determination of sex from an unknown human mandible bone was as follows: RH=84. 6%, CRH=82. 4%, BB=73. 5%, and MBH=83. 8%, indicating that RH alone could categorize the sex in 84. 6% of the cases (highest accuracy), CRH in 82. 4%, BB in 73. 5% (lowest accuracy), and MBH in 83. 8%. The average accuracy in sex determination was 89% using all four variables. Conclusions: All the variables studied in the present study revealed a reliable extent of certainty for sex discrimination of unidentified skeletal remains. The overall accuracy of all variables altogether was 89%.

The present paper investigates into one of the important subject in mystic conduct i.e. Panoramic Journey within mystical texts up to Hegira 7th century (14th AD century). After purposing an introduction about this journey, author deals with definition of (mystic) conduct and wayfaring and history of journey in Quran and Islamic Traditions (Hadith) and explained them briefly. The author has also extracted types of conduct and journey from mystic texts and introduced them and then dealt with definition of sophists’ goals concerning to this journey and the needed tools for such conduct and then explained about ceremonies of journey and for entering into Khanghah (Sophist Convent) and the relation of Sophist Shekhs (masters) with this conduct. At the end, author has expressed the impacts and benefits of Sophist journey.