title: Conventional frontal radiographs compared with frontal radiographs obtained from cone beam computed tomography.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To test the hypothesis that there is no difference between measurements performed on conventional frontal radiographs (FRs) and those performed on FRs obtained from cone beam computed tomography (CBCT) scans.
  
  
  METHODS
  This study consisted of conventional FRs and CBCT-constructed FRs obtained from 30 young adult patients. Twenty-three landmarks were identified on both types of cephalometric radiographs. Twenty-one widely used cephalometric variables (14 linear distances, 4 angles, and 3 ratios) were calculated. Paired t-tests were performed to compare the means of corresponding measurements on two cephalometric radiographs of the same patient.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Reproducibility of measurements ranged from 0.85 to 0.99 for CBCT-constructed FRs, and from 0.78 to 0.96 for conventional FRs. A statistically significant difference was observed between conventional FRs and CBCT-constructed FRs for all linear measurements (eurR-eurL, loR-loL, moR-moL, zygR-zygL, lapR-lapL, mxR-mxL, maR-maL, umR-umL, lmR-lmL, agR-agL, me-ans) (P < .05), except for the ans-cr measurement (P > .05). However, no statistically significant differences were noted between conventional FRs and CBCT-constructed FRs for ratios and angular measurements (P > .05).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The hypothesis was rejected. A difference has been noted between measurements performed on conventional FRs and those performed on CBCT-constructed FRs, particularly in terms of linear measurements.
authors: Department of Orthodontics, Faculty of Dentistry, Karadeniz Technical University, Trabzon, Turkey.
authors: Metin
authors: M
authors: Nur
authors: Saadettin
authors: S
authors: Kayipmaz
authors: Mehmet
authors: M
authors: Bayram
authors: Mevlut
authors: M
authors: Celikoglu
authors: Dogan
authors: D
authors: Kilkis
authors: Omer Said
authors: OS
authors: Sezgin
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D002508:Cephalometry / Q000379:methods*; D054893:Cone-Beam Computed Tomography / Q000379:methods*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D021621:Imaging, Three-Dimensional / Q000379:methods*; D008297:Male; D015588:Observer Variation; D011861:Radiography, Dental / Q000379:methods; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D012886:Skull / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D055815:Young Adult