Image quality assessment of pre-processed and post-processed digital panoramic radiographs in paediatric patients with mixed dentition

Purpose: To determine the impact of an image processing technique on diagnostic accuracy of digital panoramic radiographs for the assessment of anatomical structures in paediatric patients with mixed dentition. Materials and Methods: The study consisted of 50 digital panoramic radiographs of children aged from 6 to 12 years, which were later on processed using a dedicated image processing method. A modified clinical image quality evaluation chart was used to evaluate the diagnostic accuracy of anatomical structures in maxillary and mandibular anterior and maxillary premolar region of processed images. Results: A statistically significant difference was observed between pre and post-processed evaluation of anatomical structures (P < 0.05) in the maxillary and mandibular anterior region. The anterior region was found to be more accurate in post-processed images. No significant difference was observed in the maxillary premolar region (P > 0.05). The Inter-observer and intra-observer reliability of both pre and post processed images were excellent (> 0.82) for anterior region and good (> 0.63) for premolar region. Conclusion: The application of image processing technique in digital panoramic radiography can be considered a reliable method for improving the quality of anatomical structures in paediatric patients with mixed dentition.