Oral and Maxillofacial Radiology

Service Description

The main focus of this outpatient department is to undertake radiography and radiology (X-rays) of patients who are having treatment within the hospital.

The X-ray department in the Dental Hospital receives the majority of its referrals from the outpatient clinics within the hospital. These are from a range of dental specialties and cover a variety of clinical conditions. Whilst most patients are referred to the hospital via the General Dental Practioner (GDP) route, we also image patients referred to the department by other hospital trusts and from the Emergency Dental Clinic situated within the Dental Hospital. A limited private Cone Beam CT service is available to GDPs.

A separate Children’s X-Ray room has been funded by charitable funds and is installed in the Children’s department on the second floor of the Dental Hospital.

The department takes approximately 20,000 patients each year carrying out in excess of 25,000 examinations in total. The department has six digital X-Ray machines that perform a variety of specialist Dental X-Ray examinations.

Our Consultant Dental Radiologists provide expert opinions for clinical colleagues in the Hospital and also in primary care. They also perform more complex radiological investigations in other Radiology Departments across the Trust.

Dental and Maxillofacial Radiology is an essential part of training for Dental Students, Dental Therapy / Hygiene Students and Student Radiographers. As such, your radiography examination may be carried out by a student under supervision by qualified, highly experienced staff.

Procedures done in the Department

Intra oral examinations (images taken with an X-Ray detector in your mouth)

Intra oral periapicals.
Bitewings
Occlusal views

Extra Oral examinations (Images taken with the X-Ray detector outside your mouth)

Orthopantomograms
Cephalometric images for Orthodontics
Lateral Oblique jaw

Patient Information – what to expect

For Cone Beam Computed Tomography (CBCT) you can find details in the following two documents:

Cone Beam CT Service

Cone Beam Computed Tomography Scans

Referral

The majority of patients who attend the X-Ray service are referred from a clinic within the University Dental Hospital of Manchester. Admission to the Oral Maxillofacial Radiology service is by referral from your Dental Practitioner. Opening hours are Monday to Friday from 9.00 am 5.00 pm.

Cone Beam CT scans are by appointment only, whilst all other patients are imaged as they attend the service from clinic.

Meet the Team

Clinical Manager – Ms Alison Maw

Consultant Radiologist – Professor Keith Horner

Lead Radiographer – Ms Amanda Carson

Contact Us

0161 275 6692 – The service is open Monday to Friday from 9am to 5pm.

Relatives and Escorts

If required, we encourage a relative or escort to attend with the patient when they are being imaged in the department. This is usually to assist in the identification process before the examination takes place or to assist a young child. The escort is only in the examination room if they are required to assist in obtaining adequate images of the patient and must follow local procedures at all times as advised by the radiographer performing the examination.Occasionally an interpreter is required however they do not remain in the examination room during X-ray exposures. If there are several relatives accompanying a patient they are requested to wait in the nearby waiting area.