panoramic X-ray
Single curved 2D dental image showing all teeth and jaw anatomy in one acquisition. The X-ray tube and detector rotate around the patient head along a focal trough optimized for the dental arch. Ubiquitous screening modality across general dentistry, orthodontics, and oral surgery.
Why it matters to buyers: Screening, orthodontic planning, implant preview. Pano + ceph + CBCT in one unit (3-in-1) is the modern standard for implant / ortho practices.
Why it matters to engineers: Often combined with CBCT in a single dental imaging unit (Planmeca ProMax 3D, Sirona Orthophos). Tube alignment and patient-positioning laser drift cause the most common image-quality issues.