Characteristics of Calcification of the Thyroid and Triteiceus Cartilage on Panoramic X-rays in Adult Patients at the Dr. René Puig Bentz Dental Clinic at UNPHU

Thyroid and triticeous cartilage calcifications may be incidentally observed on panoramic radiographs, and their recognition is important for differentiating them from other soft-tissue calcifications in the cervical region. The objective of this study was to determine the radiographic characteristics of these calcifications in adult patients attending the Dr. René Puig Bentz Dental Clinic at Universidad Nacional Pedro Henríquez Ureña (UNPHU), Dominican Republic. An observational, descriptive, and retrospective study was conducted using panoramic radiographs obtained between September and December 2025. Of the 572 radiographs evaluated, 72 met the inclusion criteria and the diagnostic quality required for analysis. Among these, 14 (19.4%) showed triticeous cartilage calcification, 38 (52.8%) showed thyroid cartilage calcification, and 20 (27.8%) showed both calcifications. Thyroid cartilage calcification was predominantly bilateral (56.9%), whereas triticeous cartilage calcification was predominantly unilateral (73.5%). Both calcifications were more frequent in patients older than 46 years and showed a higher frequency among females. The dataset contains demographic and radiographic information, including age, sex, type of calcification, anatomical distribution, affected side, morphology, borders, size, and internal density. These data allow the radiographic presentation of both calcifications to be characterized and may contribute to their recognition and differentiation from other soft-tissue calcifications observed on panoramic radiographs.