JawAtlasFeature
A panoramic you build yourself
Trace the dental arch on an axial slice and the app reconstructs a panoramic view along that curve, with a cross-section that follows a scout line, the same workflow clinical suites use.
Tracing the arch
Open the Pano stage and tap Edit arch. The app shows an axial slice through the arch; tap at least four points along it, from one side to the other. Undo removes the last point and Clear starts over. Tap Show panoramic and the GPU samples the volume along the spline, averaging a slab around the curve, to produce the panoramic view. Step by step: tracing the arch.
The OPG convention
The panoramic is displayed with the patient's right on your left, the way a panoramic radiograph (OPG) is read, and labelled R and L so there is no guessing. The H and F labels mark head and feet. How a reconstructed panoramic differs from a panoramic radiograph covers the differences that matter for learning.
Linked cross-sections
A yellow scout line sits on the panoramic. Drag it and the pane below shows a cross-section perpendicular to the arch at that point, with a readout such as "Cross-section · 45 mm along arch". Cross-sections are how you see a root, a canal or a cortical plate in its true buccolingual width, which the panoramic itself flattens. The guide explains why.
A default arch for the demo
The bundled demo scan ships with an arch already traced, so the Pano stage works the moment you open the case. Retrace it as often as you like; it is a good first exercise, because a poor trace produces a visibly distorted panoramic and teaches you what the curve controls.
Stored with the case
The arch is saved with the case and travels with it when you share the case, so a seminar group opens the same panoramic the instructor prepared.
Questions students ask
How many points do I need to trace the arch?
At least four. Seven or eight spread from one molar region around the front to the other side gives a smooth curve. You can Undo single points or Clear the whole trace.
Why is the right side of the panoramic on the left of the screen?
That is the OPG convention: a panoramic radiograph is read as if you faced the patient, so the patient's right appears on your left. JawAtlas follows it so the view matches what you see in a clinic.
Is the panoramic a single thin slice?
No. It is computed by averaging a slab of voxels along the curve, which is why structures that sit slightly off the arch still appear. The guide on panoramic reconstruction explains what slab thickness does.
Is the arch saved?
Yes. The trace is stored with the case, so it is there the next time you open it and it travels with the case when you share it.
JawAtlas is an education and training aid. It is not a medical device and must not be used for diagnosis, treatment planning or any clinical decision.
Last reviewed 2026-10-13