Use of panoramic radiography among an ambulatory dental population to detect patients at risk of stroke

Panoramic radiographs of 3.6 percent of 1,175 newly accepted dental school patients displayed calcifications in the area of the carotid vasculature. The authors interviewed the patients with calcifications to determine whether they exhibited any recognized atherosclerosis risk factors. One patient had symptoms of atherosclerosis, and a statistically significant correlation was found for obesity among the patients interviewed. The authors concluded that panoramic radiography is useful for identifying some asymptomatic patients with carotid calcifications. These patients should be referred to their physicians promptly for a cerebrovascular work-up as part of an active stroke-prevention strategy.