Panoramic Lead Aprons

I have seen many assistants improperly using a lead vest while trying to take a panoramic X-ray. The rotation of a panoramic tube head usually starts on one side of the patient, rotates around the back of the patient’s head, and ends on the opposite side of the patient’s head. Does placing a lead vest over the patient’s chest do anything to protect them from radiation during exposure? No. The radiation on a panoramic rotation comes from the sides and from behind the patient not the front. If you must use a full size lead vest for panoramic X-rays you are better off placing it over the patient’s back being careful to not allow it to be placed too high on the patient’s neck. If the lead vest is placed too high, you will very likely loose the anterior teeth and/or the lower half of your radiograph.

We have a better solution — The panoramic cape. It is a lead vest that is specifically designed for use with a pan. It covers the shoulder area and wraps the patient from front to back covering just the critical areas that are in harms way during a panoramic exposure. Click on the image below to be taken to the product information page.