RESUMEN
Use of panoramic radiography in some cases is easier and more cost-effective than other radiographies. However, it has some limitations as well. Considering the importance of radiography in dentistry, the present study sought to assess the consistency of selection of panoramic radiography by general dentists in Tehranwith FDA guidelines during 2010-2011. In this descriptive cross-sectional study, 500 general dentists were selected using randomized cluster sampling and evaluated by a questionnaire. The questionnaire asked for demographic data and had 27 questions regarding the selection criteria for panoramic radiography. Dentists had the following answer choices for each criterion: [Strongly leads to prescription], [probably leads to prescription], [has no effect on prescription], [probably prevents prescription] and [strongly prevents prescription]. The answers were collected and descriptively analyzed. To evaluate the effect of different factors on dentists' answers, binary logistic regression with enter method was used. Of the understudy dentists, 44% were females and 56% were males with a mean age of 36.84 yrs. Based on the results of regression analysis, panoramic radiography was prescribed by dentists in case of concerns regarding the carcinogenicity of radiation, good oral hygiene and for evaluation of growth and development before the age of 6 which are not in accord with the FDA guidelines. Also, for primary assessment of periodontal status, poor oral hygiene, disseminated pain, determination of alveolar crest height in the anterior region and pregnancy, panoramic radiography was prescribed by dentists which is completely in agreement with the FDA guidelines [P<0.05]. Easy application of panoramic radiography and its accessibility were the reasons for its prescription in 55.5% and 47.6% of cases, respectively. Some reasons of prescription were in accord with the FDA guidelines while some others were in contrast to them