In panoramic imaging, what is the effect of a center of rotation adapting to the jaw shape?

• A. It increases distortion.
• B. It has no effect on distortion.
• C. It reduces distortion and optimizes image quality.
• D. It causes unpredictable distortion.

Answer: (C)

Aligning the rotation center to the jaw shape reduces geometric distortion in panoramic imaging. When the rotation axis follows the curved dental arch, the projection geometry better matches the actual anatomy, so magnification becomes more uniform across the image and structures are represented more faithfully. This leads to crisper details and overall better image quality. If the center of rotation doesn’t adapt to the jaw, the curved geometry introduces variable magnification and positional errors, producing more distortion. That’s why adapting the center of rotation to the jaw reduces distortion and optimizes image quality.