OPG Scan In London

An OPG scan, also known as a panoramic dental X-ray, provides a complete image of your upper and lower jaws, teeth, and surrounding bone structure. At 3Beam Imaging Centre in Harley Street, London, we use advanced digital OPG technology to deliver high-resolution images with minimal radiation exposure.

An OPG unit rotates smoothly around your head during the scan — the process takes around 20 seconds and is completely painless.

What an OPG X-Ray Can Detect

An OPG X-ray is an essential diagnostic tool used by dentists, orthodontists, and oral surgeons to assess a wide range of dental and jaw conditions, including:

  • Dental fractures 
  • Dislocated jaw
  • Infection
  • Face trauma and fractures
  • Impacted wisdom teeth
  • Dentition (teeth)
  • Dental evaluation for caries or pulp disease
  • Trauma assessment for tooth or jaw fractures (broken tooth Xray)
  • Sinusitis, periodontitis or periapical abscesses
  • Tumour or radicular cyst
  • Temporomandibular joint (TMJ) assessment for disease, fractures or dislocations
  • Progressive evaluation of orthodontic treatment

An OPG also demonstrates the number, position and growth of all the teeth including those that have not yet surfaced or erupted through the gum. The scan can be particularly useful to check and to see areas like wisdom teeth for impaction, or the development of a child’s jaw and teeth. It is often used to check your TMJ (temporomandibular joint), sometimes called the CMA (cranio-mandibular articulation) especially if you grind your teeth.

Benefits of an OPG X-Ray

  • Comprehensive view of all teeth, jaws, and facial bones, including TMJ

  • Very low radiation dose compared to conventional CT scans

  • Quick and comfortable for patients with a strong gag reflex

  • Suitable for limited mouth opening or restricted jaw movement

  • Ideal for orthodontic, surgical, and diagnostic evaluations

Referrals and Bookings

 

About the procedure

The OPG will be carried out by a radiographer (a health professional trained to perform imaging procedures). They will explain the procedure and make sure that you’re happy to go ahead with it. 

  • The radiographer will ask you to remove any jewellery in the head and neck area.
  • You will be asked to stand in front of the scanning machine.
  • A peg will be put into a slot on the machine and you’ll be asked to bite onto this. 
  • Below the peg are two handles which you’ll need to hold to keep your balance as we may need to ask you to lean backwards to get the best possible picture. 
  • When you are in the right position, the radiographer will use a clamp to gently hold your head in place and stop it from moving. 
  • This doesn’t hurt. Once you are in place, the machine starts to move around your head. 
  • While it is moving it can touch your shoulders. Try not to move as this will blur the image and may mean the procedure has to be repeated. The test usually takes about 15 minutes 
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