Introduction: Radiological examinations are an important source of information in most diagnostic procedures. The development of panoramic radiography has made it possible to improve image quality while at the same time reducing the radiation dose to the patient. However, the technique requires precise and correct positioning of the imaging region in order to optimally display the necessary structures in the image and achieve diagnostic image quality. Purpose: The aim of the master’s thesis was to assess the success of radiologic technology students in correctly positioning a head phantom for panoramic dental imaging and to compare their results with those of experienced radiologic engineers in the field of dental radiography. The thesis focused on evaluating the relationship between theoretical knowledge and practical performance, as well as analyzing the most common errors in positioning the region for panoramic dental imaging. Methods: Data collection for the master's thesis was carried out in two parts. The first part consisted of a review of relevant literature in the studied field, while the second part involved an experimental method, which included the participation of both radiologic technology students and employed radiologic technologists in the field of dental radiography. The study included 51 radiologic technology students and 10 employed radiologic technologists. Results: In the study, we evaluated each criterion separately according to the level of education. Overall, we found that second-cycle students made the fewest mistakes in phantom positioning, first-cycle students performed somewhat worse, while the employed radiologic technologists received the poorest results. The results of this analysis should not be generalized to the entire population of employed radiologic technologists, since only a proportional share of them participated in the study, and the number of students was also significantly higher compared to the employed technologists. The criterion of excessive posterior phantom positioning proved to be the most challenging for all participants, while the criterion of head tilt backwards showed a statistically significant difference between the individual groups. Discussion and conclusion: Differences in the quality of phantom positioning during panoramic imaging are primarily related to the consistency of procedure execution rather than solely to clinical experience. It is important that operators take sufficient time for accurate positioning of the imaging region. This contributes not only to improved diagnostic quality but also to a reduction in repeat examinations and lower exposure to X-ray radiation in the clinical setting.
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