Published September 2026
- You stand still and bite gently on a small guide
- The arm circles around your head. Nothing touches you
- One wide picture forms: both jaws, all the teeth, the sinuses and the jaw joints
- It is the picture used when the whole mouth needs to be seen at once
Who usually does it
general dentist. Available in most general offices and all oral surgery and orthodontic offices.
One question worth asking
Does this picture replace the smaller X-rays, or are both being taken?
Outside-the-mouth X-ray, first picture
D0250. A plain X-ray taken from outside the mouth that is not a panoramic, for example of the jaw from the side.
A panoramic X-ray is one wide picture of both jaws, all the teeth, the sinuses and the jaw joints, taken by a machine that circles your head. It is common before wisdom tooth removal, implants or braces.
The machine circles your head once and the whole picture takes under a minute. Because it shows both jaws, the sinuses and the jaw joints in one image, it is common before wisdom tooth surgery, implant planning or braces. It gives the wide view rather than fine detail, so small decay is easier to see on a bitewing.
Codes for this
Upload it or type the lines. We read it and show what happened to other patients. Free, no account.
No dental office can pay to change what we show you.