Skip Navigation


The European Journal of Orthodontics Advance Access originally published online on November 3, 2008
The European Journal of Orthodontics 2008 30(6):630-635; doi:10.1093/ejo/cjn059
This Article
Right arrow Full Text
Right arrow Full Text (PDF)
Right arrow All Versions of this Article:
30/6/630    most recent
cjn059v1
Right arrow Alert me when this article is cited
Right arrow Alert me if a correction is posted
Services
Right arrow Email this article to a friend
Right arrow Similar articles in this journal
Right arrow Similar articles in ISI Web of Science
Right arrow Similar articles in PubMed
Right arrow Alert me to new issues of the journal
Right arrow Add to My Personal Archive
Right arrow Download to citation manager
Right arrowRequest Permissions
Google Scholar
Right arrow Articles by Nijkamp, P. G.
Right arrow Articles by Zentner, A.
Right arrow Search for Related Content
PubMed
Right arrow PubMed Citation
Right arrow Articles by Nijkamp, P. G.
Right arrow Articles by Zentner, A.
Social Bookmarking
Add to CiteULike   Add to Connotea   Add to Del.icio.us  
What's this?

© The Author 2008. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the European Orthodontic Society. All rights reserved. For permissions, please email: journals.permissions@oxfordjournals.org.

The influence of cephalometrics on orthodontic treatment planning

Peter G. Nijkamp*, Luc L. M. H. Habets*, Irene H. A. Aartman** and Andrej Zentner*

* Section of Orthodontics, Academic Centre for Dentistry Amsterdam (ACTA), Universiteit van Amsterdam and Vrije Universiteit, The Netherlands
** Section of Social Dentistry and Behavioural Sciences, Academic Centre for Dentistry Amsterdam (ACTA), Universiteit van Amsterdam and Vrije Universiteit, The Netherlands

Address for correspondence Dr Peter G. Nijkamp, Section of Orthodontics, ACTA, Louwesweg 1, 1066 EA Amsterdam, The Netherlands, E-mail: p.nijkamp{at}acta.nl


  Abstract

Since its introduction, cephalometrics, i.e. cephalometric radiography and analysis, has been used for orthodontic treatment planning. However, the effectiveness of this diagnostic method remains questionable. A randomized crossover study was designed to assess the influence of cephalometrics in orthodontic treatment planning of individual patients. Diagnostic records of 48 subjects (24 males and 24 females aged 11–14 years) were divided in two stratified groups and assigned to one of two combinations: A, dental casts only, and B, dental casts, cephalometric radiographs, and analysis. The records were presented to 10 orthodontic postgraduates and four orthodontists for formulation of orthodontic treatment plans containing a dichotomous decision regarding the use of a functional appliance (FUNC), rapid maxillary expansion (RME), and extraction (EXTR). The combination of FUNC + RME + EXTR was used as the basis of the outcome measure. Agreement on orthodontic treatment planning using all possible comparisons of diagnostic records of individual patients (AB, AA, and BB) was assessed and overall proportions of agreement (OPA) were calculated for orthodontic postgraduates and orthodontists separately.

Median OPA were 0.60 (AB), 0.65 (AA), and 0.60 (BB) for orthodontic postgraduates and 0.50 (AB), 0.75 (AA), and 0.50 (BB) for orthodontists. Irrespective of the level of experience, neither consistency of orthodontic treatment planning between both combinations of diagnostic records showed a statistically significant difference (P > 0.05) using Wilcoxon signed rank test nor did consistencies and agreement of orthodontic treatment planning after the addition of cephalometrics. It appears that cephalometrics are not required for orthodontic treatment planning, as they did not influence treatment decisions.


Add to CiteULike CiteULike   Add to Connotea Connotea   Add to Del.icio.us Del.icio.us    What's this?




Disclaimer: Please note that abstracts for content published before 1996 were created through digital scanning and may therefore not exactly replicate the text of the original print issues. All efforts have been made to ensure accuracy, but the Publisher will not be held responsible for any remaining inaccuracies. If you require any further clarification, please contact our Customer Services Department.