Comparison of cone‑beam computed tomography‑generated and conventional lateral cephalograms in children and adolescents

Abstract

Objectives: This study investigates the potential of cone-beam computed tomography (CBCT)-_x000D_ <br>generated cephalograms as a replacement for conventional lateral cephalograms (LCs) in pediatric and adolescent patients._x000D_ <br>Materials and Methods: This retrospective study included 60 individuals, equally divided into_x000D_ <br>permanent and mixed dentition groups. Both groups underwent conventional LCs and CBCT_x000D_ <br>scans on the same day. LCs were then derived from CBCT scans. The same examiner performed_x000D_ <br>digital measurements twice, with a week’s interval, identifying landmarks and obtaining seven_x000D_ <br>angular and five linear measurements._x000D_ <br>Results: In the permanent dentition group, significant differences were observed between the_x000D_ <br>two imaging modalities for six angular and two linear measurements. In the mixed dentition_x000D_ <br>group, significant differences were observed for three angular and two linear measurements._x000D_ <br>However, none of these differences exceeded the clinically acceptable limit of 2º or 2 mm. No_x000D_ <br>significant differences in any measurement were found between the two groups (p &lt; 0.05)._x000D_ <br>Conclusion: CBCT-generated LCs demonstrated comparable results with good reliability in_x000D_ <br>both dentition groups, suggesting their potential as suitable alternatives for children and_x000D_ <br>adolescents who require CBCT for clinical purposes.