In vivo 3D apical displacement of mandibular incisors and canines within the symphyseal region: A CBCT-based linear measurement technique (mm) - Validation study in five patients.

OBJECTIVE

The objective of this study is to develop and validate a technique that orthodontic clinicians and researchers could use to measure lower anterior teeth apical displacement through CBCT reconstructions.

MATERIAL AND

METHODS

This is an in vivo study in which lower incisors, canines, and symphyses of five randomly selected patients were three-dimensional (3D) reconstructed through an automatic segmentation with a manual refinement process. All the images were generated from 0.3mm voxel size cone-beam computed tomography (CBCT) imaging. A 3D coordinate system based on CBCT segmentation and landmarks allowed a spatial localization of the apices and quantification of their displacement during orthodontic treatment. The primary outcomes were the intra- and inter-reliabilities and the respective measurement errors.

RESULTS

The overall results showcased good to excellent reliability for both intra- and inter-rater reliability analyses (9.91% and 7.33% measurement errors respectively).

CONCLUSION

The proposed technique could be used for 3D measurements of the apical displacement of lower anterior teeth during orthodontic treatment. The identified measurement error of less than 10% is not clinically relevant in most orthodontic situations.