The innovative technique of utilizing panoramic radiography for prediction of osteoporosis: invention to recent advancement

Dental panoramic radiographs or orthopantomographs, have received overwhelming attention from clinical researchers and dental practioners worldwide in the recent years. The credit for this interest is attributed to the potential use of orthopantomographs in the prediction of skeletal osteoporosis. Numerous  radiomorphometric indices of the mandible bone and other radiographic parameters, devised by authors all over the globe have successfully correlated mandibular bone mass with bone mineral densities of skeletal sites important for diagnosis of osteoporosis, computed through the current gold standard techniques. This unique and innovative technique of utilization of panoramic radiography in estimation of osteoporosis, has been modified and refined continuously over the years by a variety of researches conducted across the world. This review attempts to summarize the origins of the technique, contributions of prominent authors towards its improvement, inventions of eminent researchers leading to further sophistication in the field, recent advances and the current focus of contemporary research. The shortcomings in the technique and the potential aspects of future research directed towards their improvement, have also been explored in this review.