IN PANORAMIC RADIOGRAPHS VARIABILITY IN INTER-OBSERVER ASSESSMENT OF MENTAL FORAMEN RADIOGRAPHICALLY AND ITS APPEARANCE

Objective: The purpose of this analysis was to investigate inter-observer variability in the radiological interpretation of the variable views of the mental foramen of panoramic radiography. Study Design: A Prospective Study. Place and Duration: In the Dental Department of Services Hospital, Lahore for one year duration from July 2016 to July 2017. Methods: Four examiners; Two dental x-rays, one dental implantologist and one oral surgeon examined independently 100 radiographs in panoramic view to determine the appearance of mental foramen based on the classification of Brooks and Yosue. Using the Kappa statistics, the agreement level was determined. Results: On both sides the most common mental resistance was continuous and separate. The common foramen type is described in several cases, similar to those of the almost invisible ones. A fair agreement was made between the four observers. The variation in interpretation was between 0.3 and 0.49. Conclusion: There were significant differences among 4 examiners. The variation in this interpretation did not depend on the observer’s experience, but depended on the anatomical choices of the site to identify mental resistance of the individual. Panoramic images is not a reliable method to describe the mental resources appearance. Key words: panoramic radiography, observer agreement, Kappa statistics, mental foramen