Prediction of arch length based on intercanine width.

Arch length (AL), intercanine width (ICW), and intermolar width (IMW) are essential for diagnosis and treatment planning and are closely related factors in orthodontics. The aim of the present study was to determine correlations between these measurements and to predict some of these measurements based on others. The dental casts of 197 Spanish patients (119 females and 78 males) with a mean age of 18 years (11-26 years) in the permanent dentition attending the Orthodontic Department of the University of Valencia, Spain, were selected. ICW, IMW, and AL on each dental cast were measured using a previously tested digital method. Correlation between variables was determined using Pearson's cor…

Use of self-organizing maps for analyzing the behavior of canines displaced towards midline under interceptive treatment

Background Displaced maxillary permanent canine is one of the more frequent findings in canine eruption process and it’s easy to be outlined and early diagnosed by means of x-ray images. Late diagnosis frequently needs surgery to rescue the impacted permanent canine. In many cases, interceptive treatment to redirect canine eruption is needed. However, some patients treated by interceptive means end up requiring fenestration to orthodontically guide the canine to its normal occlusal position. It would be interesting, therefore, to discover the dental characteristics of patients who will need additional surgical treatment to interceptive treatment. Material and Methods To study the dental cha…

Influence of first and second premolar extraction or non-extraction treatments on mandibular third molar angulation and position. A comparative study.

The mandibular third molar (3M) is the tooth that is most often impacted, with lack of space being one of the reasons. In some orthodontic treatments, premolars are extracted in order to create space. The aims of our study are: firstly, to assess the changes in the angulation and position of the 3M in cases treated either with or without extraction of the first or second premolars; secondly, to analyse the variation in the gonial angle and the degree of inclusion of the 3M; and lastly, to establish a predictive impaction model for 3M. This study included 88 patients: 28 patients treated with extractions of first premolars, 30 with second premolars and 30 without. The initial and final ortho…

Determination of Bolton tooth-size ratios by digitization, and comparison with the traditional method.

The Bolton Index is one of the most useful calculations for precise orthodontic diagnosis as it shows if there is a correct ratio between dental proportions. However, at times, this calculation is not applied because it is a long and time-consuming procedure compared with digital methods. A new digital method for measuring tooth sizes and for calculating the Anterior (ABI) and the Overall (OBI) Bolton Index was tested on 100 sets of study dental casts of the permanent dentition in a Spanish sample and compared with the traditional method. The reproducibility of this digital method versus the traditional one was analysed to determine intra- and inter-examiner measurement errors by calculatin…

Study between anb angle and Wits appraisal in cone beam computed tomography (CBCT)

Objectives: To analyse the ANB and Wits values and to study correlations between those two measurements and other measurements in diagnosing the anteroposterior maxilo-mandibular relationship with CBCT. Study Design: Ninety patients who had previously a CBCT (i-CAT®) as a diagnostic register were selected. A 3D cephalometry was designed using one software package, InVivo5®. This cephalometry included 3 planes of reference, 3 angle measurements and 1 linear measurement. The means and standard deviations of the mean of each measurement were assessed. After that, a Pearson´s correlation coefficient has been performed to analyse the significance of each relationship. Results: When classifying t…

A study on the reproducibility of cephalometric landmarks when undertaking a three-dimensional (3D) cephalometric analysis

Objectives: Cone Beam Computerized Tomography (CBCT) allows the possibility of modifying some of the diagnostic tools used in orthodontics, such as cephalometry. The first step must be to study the characteristics of these devices in terms of accuracy and reliability of the most commonly used landmarks. The aims were 1- To assess intra and inter-observer reliability in the location of anatomical landmarks belonging to hard tissues of the skull in images taken with a CBCT device, 2- To determine which of those landmarks are more vs. less reliable and 3- To introduce planes of reference so as to create cephalometric analyses appropriated to the 3D reality. Study design: Fifteen patients who h…

A new 3D method for measuring cranio-facial relationships with cone beam computed tomography (CBCT)

Objectives: CBCT systems, with their high precision 3D reconstructions, 1:1 images and accuracy in locating cephalometric landmarks, allows us to evaluate measurements from craniofacial structures, so enabling us to replace the anthropometric methods or bidimensional methods used until now. The aims are to analyse cranio-facial relationships in a sample of patients who had previously undergone a CBCT and create a new 3D cephalometric method for assessing and measuring patients. Study Design: 90 patients who had a CBCT (i-Cat®) as a diagnostic register were selected. 12 cephalometric landmarks on the three spatial planes (X,Y,Z) were defined and 21 linear measurements were established. Using…

Dental arch changes from adolescence to adulthood in a spanish population : a cross-sectional study

Objectives: Given the controversy in the literature about the variations in intercanine and intermolar distances and arch perimeter once the eruption of permanent teeth is completed, the aims of this study were to assess the changes of these measures with age, analyzing its sexual dimorphism and variability in a Spanish population. Study Design: 188 Spanish individuals distributed in three age groups were selected: 63 adolescents (mean age: 14.15 years), 62 young adults (mean age: 21.9 years) and 63 adults (mean age: 40 years). The intercanine and intermolar distances and arch perimeter were measured in each dental cast from each individual of the sample using a digital method. The results …

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Long-term analysis of upper incisor crowding. A longitudinal study orthodontically treated patients

Introduction: Although there are numerous studies in the literature on alignment stability in the lower arch, there are few referring to the upper arch. Aims: To assess upper arch stability (irregularity index, widths and length of arch, overjet and overbite) in orthodontically treated patients by comparing late incisor stability with the initial malocclusion and type pf treatment undertaken. Study design: The study models of 51 patients, treated with or without extractions, were analysed at three different points in time: pre-treatment (T1), post-treatment (T2) and post-retention (T3) (average 5 years). The following parameters were measured: irregularity index, arch length, inter-canine a…

A comparison between dental measurements taken from CBCT models and those taken from a digital method.

The aims of the study were to assess speed, reliability, accuracy, and reproducibility in measuring mesiodistal tooth sizes, bicanine widths, bimolar widths, and arch lengths (ALs) using cone beam computed tomography (CBCT) and to compare them with the same measurements obtained using a two-dimensional (2D) Digital Method. Plaster study models were made for 27 patients and then digitalized and measured using a 2D Digital Method. CBCTs were undertaken on the same 27 patients using the Dental Picasso Master 3D® and the images obtained were then analysed using the InVivoDental program. The correlation study of the two measuring methods, which were compared by determining the regression paramet…

Tooth size changes with age in a Spanish population: Percentile tables

Objectives: The aims of this work were: firstly, to draw up tables of percentile tooth sizes similar to those of Sanin and Savara for three age groups of a Spanish population; secondly, to describe changes in tooth size between those groups over time, as well as observing any sexual dimorphism and, finally, to compare both the Spanish and Sanin and Savara's American population samples. Material and methods: The sample included 359 patients and was divided into three age groups: adolescents, young adults and adults, of both genders. After dental cast digitalization, mesiodistal tooth-size was measured on each dental cast using a digital method. Dental size tables organized by percentiles for…

Evaluation of the validity of the Bolton Index using cone-beam computed tomography (CBCT)

Aims: To evaluate the reliability and reproducibility of calculating the Bolton Index using cone-beam computed tomography (CBCT), and to compare this with measurements obtained using the 2D Digital Method. Material and Methods: Traditional study models were obtained from 50 patients, which were then digitized in order to be able to measure them using the Digital Method. Likewise, CBCTs of those same patients were undertaken using the Dental Picasso Master 3D® and the images obtained were then analysed using the InVivoDental programme. Results: By determining the regression lines for both measurement methods, as well as the difference between both of their values, the two methods are shown t…

Orthodontic camouflage versus orthognathic surgery for class III deformity: comparative cephalometric analysis

The objective of this study was to compare different cephalometric variables in adult patients with class III malocclusions before and after treatment, in order to determine which variables are indicative of orthodontic camouflage or orthognathic surgery. The cases of 156 adult patients were assessed: 77 treated with orthodontic camouflage and 79 treated with orthodontics and orthognathic surgery. The following cephalometric variables were measured on pre-treatment (T1) and post-treatment (T2) lateral cephalograms: sella-nasion-A-point (SNA), sella-nasion-B-point (SNB), and A-point-nasion-B-point (ANB) angles, Wits appraisal, facial axis angle, mandibular plane angle, upper and lower inciso…