title: Use of digital photographs for artificial tooth selection.
abstract: Digital photography has become available to everybody. The aim of this study was to examine possibility of calculating the width of a missing central incisor using digital photographs. Digital photographs were obtained from 51 dentate subjects using a 3.1 Megapixel digital camera from various distances: 35 cm, 70 cm, 1 m and 1.5 m. For the calculation of the width of maxillary left central incisor (MLI), the following equation was used: MLI(calculated) = Photographic width of MLI x IPD / photographic IPD. Statistical analysis was made (Kolmogorov-Smirnov test, dependent sample t-test, correlation and frequencies) using SPSS 10.0 for Windows. Results revealed no significant difference between the calculated MLI (70 cm, 1 m and 1.5 m distance) and actual MLI, however calculated MLI from 35 cm distance was significantly different from the actual MLI value (p < 0.01). The highest correlation was between calculated MLI (70 cm distance) and actual MLI. However, the highest percentage of results from a distance of 70 cm also fitted within +/- 0.3 mm; +/- 0.5 mm and +/- 1 mm difference from the actual MLI values. However, the results obtained from 1 m distance were also satisfactory. The technique of use of digital photography is of proven value in calculating the width of a maxillary central incisor. The photographs using a simple digital camera should be taken from a distance from 70 cm to 1 m. Saving such photographs in a dental office may eventually be helpful for calculating dimensions of artificial teeth.
authors.affiliation: Department of Prosthodontics, School of Dental Medicine, University of Zagreb, Croatia. celebic@sfzg.hr
authors.forename: Asja
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Celebić
authors.forename: Jasmina
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Stipetić
authors.forename: Petra
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Nola
authors.forename: Nikola
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Petricević
authors.forename: Milan
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Papić
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000886:Anthropometry; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007180:Incisor / Q000033:anatomy & histology*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010781:Photography; D012815:Signal Processing, Computer-Assisted; D014093:Tooth, Artificial