Digital transversal slice imaging in dental-maxillofacial radiology: from pantomography to digital volume tomography.

With digital transversal slice imaging (TSI) as a supplementary program to pantomographic devices and digital volume tomography (DVT), images of the viscerocranium are now possible in several planes. The two procedures, TSI and DVT, are complementary. They should be applied where the indication justifies it in dentistry and maxillofacial surgery for diagnostic and forensic purposes. To minimize patient exposure to radiation, computer tomography (CT) should only be used in complex situations of the viscerocranium where soft tissues are involved or in tumor diagnosis.