A panorex is a very impressive piece of imaging machinery in that it is capable of identifying many issues and structures that a normal x-ray is not. Once positioned in the machine, it will rotate around your entire head taking a full 360 degree view of the teeth, head, sinuses and bones.
The ability to view the full structure of your head as a whole is very informative to the dentist. This type of x-ray is useful to evaluate the need for braces, wisdom teeth removal and can supplement bite-wing x-rays, making a complete series.