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Scientific Section |
Tufts University School of Dental Medicine, Boston, MA
Address for correspondence: Timothy Charles Hardy, Tufts University School of Dental Medicine, 1 Kneeland Street, Boston, MA, 02111, USA. Email: tictac2{at}gmail.com
Received 24 April 2008; accepted 13 January 2009
| Abstract |
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Materials and Methods: The testing devise was a human skull with guide wires placed on the facial surface of the teeth and alveolar process along the long axis of each tooth. Panoramic radiographs were captured digitally with the orientation of the skull in Frankfurt horizontal plane parallel to the floor and with 1°, 2°, 5°, 7°, and 10° both superior and inferior rotations. The mesiodistal tooth angulations were determined using MIPAC software (DentalEye and LEAD Technologies, Inc. 2005).
Results: The more distal the position of the tooth in the arch the greater the change in MDAI with a change in vertical head position. A maximum change of approximately 10 degrees was observed in MDAI of both the maxillary and mandibular molars with a corresponding superior head tilt of 10 degrees. The Mandibular anteriors displayed significant inconsistencies in MDAI with both superior and inferior head tilt. A superior head tilt produced a greater change in mesiodistal angulation than did an inferior head tilt.
Conclusions: Accurately taken panoramic radiographs can serve as a convenient tool for evaluating the MDAI before, during and after orthodontic treatment. Additional radiographs are recommended for the mandibular anteriors.
Key words: Mesiodistal inclination, panoramic radiographs, diagnostics, tooth angulation, patient positioning
| Introduction |
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Panoramic radiography (pantomography) was introduced in 1949 by Paatero in an attempt to accurately capture the entire dental arch in one image.5
,13
The method of obtaining the images was based on layer radiography whereby the source and the film moved in relation to the object to capture a narrow zone or area of interest known as the focal trough. The earlier machines allowed for two separate centres of rotation for either side of the face and were fraught with significant image distortions.14
Though it has been shown that panoramic radiography, even when taken in the ideal position, can have distortion,5
,15
it is currently considered standard to use panoramic radiography in the assessment of mesiodistal tooth angulation16
and is the method most often used in orthodontic practice5
,10
–12
,17
The relatively low radiation dosage, a broad projection with little superimposition, and simplicity in use have made these images routine.18
A panoramic machine must make complex movements to obtain a focal trough that includes the entire dentition. Due to this complex movement and significant variations in configuration of the dental arch of patients, distortions in the inclination of a tooth can arise.14
,19
Most panoramic radiographs have a resultant magnified and thus, distorted image.15
The distortions of teeth and other structures within the focal trough are affected by many variables, amongst which is patient head positioning.19
–23
The aim of this study was to measure and quantify the changes in mesiodistal tooth inclination that arise from the deviation of the head position from the ideal head position for panoramic radiography. This will help in quantifying the apparent change in mesiodistal angulation that arises from faulty head positioning while taking panoramic radiographs and avoiding artifactual interpretations. Identifying common distortions created by different patient positions during panoramic radiography will allow for a more accurate assessment of tooth inclination during orthodontic treatment.
| Materials and methods |
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Measurement error
In order to account for intra-operator error the skull apparatus was repositioned within the panoramic unit between each radiograph. In addition, each set of angles radiographed were taken at least several days apart. The intra-class correlation was calculated and was found to be 0.874.
| Results |
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| Discussion |
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The skull apparatus used in this study was found to be a reliable means to produce clinically realistic images with adequate representation of anatomical landmarks and a means to measure mesiodistal tooth angulations. It also allowed for clinical simulation of variations in head positioning and a means to take multiple radiographs without patient exposure. The wires placed on the facial surface of the teeth allowed for accurate, consistent measurements eliminating variations in radiographic projection of tooth anatomy. In addition the results of this study can be applied to various models of panoramic machines since different panoramic units have been found to produce similar results when assessing mesiodistal tooth angulations.5
The results of this study show that changes in superior-inferior patient head positions created statistically significant changes in tooth tip. Significant changes were first seen in maxillary and mandibular premolars with a 1° superior head tilt and in maxillary and mandibular premolars with a 2° inferior head tilt. These low values of changes in head tilt that result in significant changes in MDAI confirm the sensitivity of panoramic units when capturing the premolar regions as has been reported in previous studies.10
,18
,19
The standard deviation was found to be higher in the canine-premolar region of the upper left and lower right side. No obvious deformity in the skull could account for the high standard deviation localized to these areas. Although a rotation or a tilt of the skull may produce such variations in measurement it was aimed to position the skull apparatus with great accuracy and was discussed in the error of method. After visual inspection of the skull apparatus arch form, teeth positioning and angulation, no apparent source for this error was found. It has been found that the complexity of movement of the X-ray source and film while capturing this region can cause significant inherent distortion,10
,18
,19
which might account for the results found.
Significant changes were first seen with changes in superior head tilt. For example, maxillary and mandibular molars showed significant changes with a superior head tilt of 2°, whereas an inferior head tilt of 5° was required to show significant changes in the maxillary molars. This shows that mesiodistal tooth angulation is more sensitive to superior head tilts as compared to inferior head tilts. Crown and root angulations, tooth size, rotations and torque create changes in positioning within the focal trough.5
,14
,23
This could have had a more significant effect on tooth tip with superior head tilts, than did inferior head tilts. In a previous study on the common positioning and technical errors in panoramic radiography they found that the majority of malpositioned patients had an inferior head tilt (14% of all patients being positioned in the panoramic unit) and 1% of patients had their head tilted superiorly.20
,22
The two-dimensional plane for molar tooth tip is in approximately the same plane as superior-inferior patient head positioning. This creates a direct effect on tooth tip of posteriors when there are changes in superior-inferior head positioning. A superior head tilt creates a more distal tip of maxillary molar roots and a more mesial tip of mandibular molar roots, whereas an inferior tilt creates a more mesial tip of maxillary molar roots and a more distal tip of mandibular molar roots. These changes in tooth tip, as seen in Figures 4
–7![]()
![]()
, are approximately equal to the changes in patient positioning. More significant changes were seen in the posterior teeth and decreased the more anterior the tooth. This was also seen in a study performed by Samawi and Burke.19
The two-dimensional plane for premolar and anterior tooth tip is not in the same plane as superior-inferior patient head positioning. This creates an indirect effect on tooth tip when there are changes in head positioning, mainly due to distortion. However, trends in this distortion can be found, in Figures 4
–7![]()
![]()
. A superior head tilt created distortions that caused the maxillary pre-molars and anteriors to have a more distal root tip on panoramic radiographic assessment, whereas an inferior head tilt created a more mesial root tip. As seen in Figures 5
and 7
, no such trends for the anteriors can readily be seen. Panoramic radiographic assessment of mandibular premolars showed a more mesial tip with changes in superior head tilt and a more distal root tip with inferior head tilts. These distortions can be explained by where the endpoints of the tooth are within the focal trough. As explained by Tronje et al., tooth endpoints that are located at different spots within the focal trough will be projected onto the film at different distances from the centre point of the tooth. Since the tooth is inclined, part of the tooth will show up with an enlarged image angle and the other half with a diminished image angle.24
As the head position is changed, so is the tooth inclination within the focal trough. This results in a change in measured mesiodistal tooth inclination.
Clinically, it has been found that variations over 2.5° between a tooth and reference plane create significant changes during assessment of tooth angulation on a panoramic radiograph.5
,18
,19
,24
Using this information, a superior head tilt of 2° and an inferior head tilt of 5° would allow for variations in assessment of tooth tip. Other authors have found that variations up to 5° in mesiodistal tooth angulation do not alter the treatment plan during assessment of tooth angulation on a panoramic radiograph.12
,25
–27
These reports suggest that significant changes in assessment of tooth tip would not result unless the patient was malpositioned 5° or more in a superior head tilt or at least 7° in an inferior head tilt. Head tilts of up to 5° have been proposed to be the upper limits of improper patient positioning seen in the dental field.10
Often there are crown-root angulations, rotations, crowding and/or spacing found in a patients dentition. These malpositioned teeth are a variable that can influence the measured axial inclination in a panoramic radiograph. Combining the effects of malpositioned teeth with improper patient placement in a panoramic unit has the potential to greatly alter the axial inclination measured on a panoramic radiograph. The effect of crown-root angulations, crowding and/or spacing on assessing tooth tip in panoramic radiographs was not within the realm of this study, but is something that should be looked at in future studies.
Variations in the size and shape of the arches, as well as variations in the positioning of teeth within different patients can affect geometry of the arches within the focal trough, thus affecting the distortions produced.5
,18
,21
Therefore, the results of this study cannot be directly applied to every patients radiographic analysis.
As a means to assess the accuracy of measuring tooth tip on a panoramic radiograph, comparison with the measurements found using computed tomography (CT) has recently been performed and showed that panoramic radiography did not accurately depict tooth tip.15
The routine use of CT, however, presents concerns such as increased patient exposure to radiation and costs to both practitioner and patient, which may limit the use of CT. More information would be an indication for the use of CT in the orthodontic clinic. Panoramic radiography has and may continue to prove to be an effective tool in the orthodontic evaluation of a patient.
| Conclusion |
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| Contributor statement |
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| References |
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