Radiographic imaging of the hard palate and maxillary third molars with spiral tomography: a novel technique of patient positioning.

The Scanora spiral tomography system can be used to solve a range of imaging problems in the maxillofacial region. However, the system has no specific programs for imaging bony lesions of the hard palate or medially and cranially displaced maxillary third molars. New patient-positioning techniques were therefore developed on the basis of phantom radiographs, and their successful application in patients is presented. With the novel techniques, good radiographic representations of the hard and soft palates in the posteroanterior and lateral projections and of maxillary third molars were achieved.