Year : 2015

Volume : Volume 5

Issue : Issue 3

Address for correspondence :
Dr. Archana Jatania
ajatania@hotmail.com

Abstract

Background:  The aim of orthodontic diagnosis is to identify dento-alveolar, skeletal and functional alterations in the maxillo-facial complex. Diagnosis and treatment planning are based on a combination of study models, intra-oral and extra-oral images, and radiographs, traditionally consisting of panoramic and cephalometric radiographs. Cephalometric analysis (CA) plays an important role in diagnosis and treatment planning. Traditional CA is based on three different X-ray projections: latero-lateral teleradiography, postero-anterior teleradiography and axial projection. However, conventional radiographs are limited because they provide a 2-D representation of 3-D structures. The traditional system, analysing the three dimensions separately, is insufficient because dento-facial alterations often take place in 3-D space. The recent introduction of CBCT in combination with computer software allows the application of this new methodology to different fields of dentistry,including its successful use in orthodontics. Cone beam CT (CBCT) has become an increasingly important source of three dimensional (3D) volumetric data in clinical orthodontics since its introduction into dentistry in 1998. The purpose of this manuscript is to highlight the current understanding of, and evidence for, the clinical use of CBCT in orthodontics, and to review the findings to answer clinically relevant questions.

Keywords: CBCT, dentistry, orthodontics.