The variations in exposure parameters did not interfere with the diagnosis of vertical root fractures, independent of the root canal restorative status. Metallic posts were associated with greater artefact formation and compromised the diagnostic performance. It is possible to decrease the kVp/mA settings to reduce the probability of biological effects due to radiation, without losing diagnostic accuracy.

Mandibular bone depressions located on the lingual/buccal aspect of the mandibular ramus are the rarest variants of the so-called Stafne's bone cavities, or major salivary gland-related depressions, with only 17 cases reported in the literature including both clinical cases and archaeological specimens. We report the case of a 14-year-old male patient who sought clinical assistance complaining of a hard expansion on the lower left premolar-molar region. Apart from a unilocular radiolucent lesion between the lower left second premolar and first molar, a panoramic radiograph showed another radiolucent lesion located in the right mandibular ramus, at the level of the mandibular foramen. Computed tomography (CT) revealed an expansile lesion in the left mandibular body, later diagnosed as a simple bone cyst through surgical exploration. The three-dimensional CT volume rendering reconstructed image showed that the second lesion, located on the lingual aspect of the ascending ramus, was an actual cortical bone defect, which was diagnosed as a mandibular ramus-related Stafne's bone cavity. Considering the young age of the patient, the size of the defect, the recognizedly slow development of mandibular bone defects and, above all, the location of the bone defect under discussion, we believe it to have a congenital rather than a developmental origin (i.e. it was caused by a focal failure during intramembranous ossification of the mandible). If this is the case, mandibular bone depressions should not be seen exclusively as salivary gland-related bone defects.

Hybrid lesions comprise elements of different pathologies in one lesion. Hybrid lesions comprising central giant cell granulomas (CGCG) with fibro-osseous components are rare, with only six maxillomandibular cases reported in the literature. We report a case of a hybrid lesion in a 38-year-old woman who presented with a swelling in the mandibular parasymphysis, on the left side. Panoramic and occlusal radiographs and CT showed a mixed lesion with expansion of the buccal cortical plate that pointed to the diagnosis of ossifying fibroma (OF). Complete excision of the lesion was performed, and the anatomopathological examination showed features of both CGCG and a fibro-osseous lesion. Clinical, imaging and histopathological features indicate a hybrid lesion of CGCG and OF. The patient remains asymptomatic after 30 months of follow-up.

The radiomorphometric indices applied in the present study can be used on panoramic radiographs to detect the presence of low bone density in SCD subjects.

Objective: To evaluate the influence of alternative erasing times of DenOptixH (Dentsply/ Gendex, Chicargo, IL) digital plates on subjective image quality and the probability of double exposure image not occurring. Methods: Human teeth were X-rayed with phosphor plates using ten different erasing times. Two observers evaluated the images for subjective image quality (sharpness, brightness, contrast, enamel definition, dentin definition and dentin-enamel junction definition) and for the presence or absence of double exposure image. Spearman's correlation analysis and ANOVA was performed to verify the existence of a linear association between the subjective image quality parameters and the alternative erasing times. A contingency table was constructed to evaluate the agreement among the observers, and a binominal logistic regression was performed to verify the correlation between the erasing time and the probability of double exposure image not occurring. Results: All 6 parameters of image quality were rated high by the examiners for the erasing times between 25 s and 130 s. The same erasing time range, from 25 to 130 s, was considered a safe erasing time interval, with no probability of a double exposure image occurring. Conclusions: The alternative erasing times from 25 s to 130 s showed high image quality and no probability of double image occurrence. Thus, it is possible to reduce the operating time of the DenOptixH digital system without jeopardizing the diagnostic task.