On a panoramic radiograph, the right ramus appears noticeably wider/more magnified than the left ramus. What positioning error most likely caused this?

The patient's head/chin was rotated toward the left (turning the right side away from the midsagittal plane, increasing its magnification)
The patient bit down too hard on the bite block
The exposure time was too long
The patient's chin was positioned too high

Show answer and explanation

Correct answer: A. The patient's head/chin was rotated toward the left (turning the right side away from the midsagittal plane, increasing its magnification)

In panoramic radiography, rotating the patient's head away from proper midsagittal alignment causes the side rotated AWAY (farther from the image receptor/focal trough) to appear magnified (wider), while the side rotated TOWARD appears compressed (narrower). A wider right ramus is therefore most consistent with the patient's head being turned/rotated toward the left.

Practice Anatomy & Histology questions Anatomy & Histology study notes

On a panoramic radiograph, the right ramus appears noticeably wider/more magnified than the left ramus. What positioning error most likely caused this?

More Anatomy & Histology practice questions