Comparison of lateral cephalometric analysis among the conventional, digital and hardcopy cephalographs

Abstract EN

Aims : to evaluate the reliability of landmarks identification and their effect on the accuracy of the linear and angular measurements among the conventional, hardcopy and direct digital cephalographs.

Materials and Methods : the conventional cephalometric radiographs and their digital, hardcopies counterparts are taken for110 males and females between 1825 years of age for students of dental college of Mosul University and from the patients who are attending College of Dentistry Teaching Hospital.

Seventeen cephalometric landmarks are selected on original radiographs and their digital, hard-copies cephalographes to evaluate the accuracy of 5 angular and linear measurements derived from the landmarks identified in conventional, hardcopy and direct digital cephalographes and to determine which is the most accurate method to be used in the cephalometric analyses nowadays.

Results : the SNA, SNB, ANB showed no significant differences among the three analyses techniques.

Total anterior facial height skeletal dimension showed more accurate measurements within digital techniques rather than within conventional and hardcopy techniques.

Interincisal angle showed no significant difference in its measurements between conventional and digital methods; although it showed more accuracy in its measurements within digital method rather than in conventional and hardcopy techniques.

Conclusions : this study has shown that most of cephalometric landmarks have been identified with more precision and reliability within the digital techniques rather than with conventional and hardcopy techniques.

However, there was significant difference in some measurements both linear and skeletal, but it can be considered clinically accepted.