title: Effect of cephalograms on decisions for early orthodontic treatment.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To assess the extent to which cephalograms modify therapeutic decisions related to early orthodontic treatment.
  
  
  METHODS
  Diagnostic records of six patients requiring early treatment were digitized for this purpose. A total of 234 orthodontists were then asked to select therapeutic measures on a treatment-planning sheet at two different times (T1 and T2). Three groups of orthodontists were formed and were provided with case-specific records either including or not including cephalograms and the appended tracing values. Forty-seven orthodontists completed all phases of the questions.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Statistical analysis revealed only two statistically significant differences between the first (T1) and second (T2) treatment plans, both concerning options of transverse treatment. None of the other results showed any significant changes from T1 to T2 treatment planning.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  It follows that cephalograms did not influence therapeutic decisions for early orthodontic treatment and should not be routinely used in very young patients.
authors.affiliation: a  PhD student, Department of Orthodontics, Eberhard Karl University, Tübingen, Germany.
authors.forename: Robert
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Ritschel
authors.forename: Till E
authors.initials: TE
authors.lastname: Bechtold
authors.forename: Mirjam
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Berneburg
mesh_terms: D002508:Cephalometry; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003657:Decision Making; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008310:Malocclusion / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000628:therapy*; D010347:Patient Care Planning; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D013997:Time Factors