Cephalometrics has been the mainstay for Orthodontic Diagnosis and Resaearch. Till the advent of Computerised Imaging, the cephalometric values alone were used to decide the treatment planning. Digital Technology no offeres the convinience of using a filmless cephalometrics, which can be incorporated into computerized imaging; to combine the skeletal,Dental and Soft tissue parameters in Cephalometrics along with the patients facial photographs.
However some clinicians who do not have access to digital radiography , use conventional X-Ray Films for computerised imaging by scaning them in a transperency adaped flatbed scanner.
This study hence compares selected cephalometric values between digitized head films and the Gold Standard of Hand Tracing conventional films.
27 lateral head films were obtained both in there digital format and their conventional format. Three groups were made.
Group One : Hand tracing the convetional film.
Group Two : Films Digitized by scanning.(Dolphin Imaging)
Group Three: Direct digital images phosphur plates.(Dolphin Imaging)
They were studied using Dolphin Imaging Software ver 10 and their values compared to their hand traced counterparts. The diffrences in the values were not statitically significant. Hence we can conclusively take a conventional films,digitize them by scaning them and achive reliable values.