title: Digital Cephalometric Tracings by PRO-CEPH V3 Software for Comparative Analyses of Vertical Dimension in Edentulous Patients.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Several methods, some physiological, some radiographical and some merely based on experience are taken upon by the practitioner to get him/her close to VDO in the edentulous patients. No single method can however claim to be the perfect answer. Lateral cephalograms have been a standard mode of determining the vertical dimensions in dentate and edentulous patients since the past. Due to unavoidable manual errors, there are chances of variations in the radiographic method too. Advancement in the digital technology has made recording jaw relations faster, simpler and more precise.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  This study compared the vertical dimension of occlusion in edentulous patients recorded by using three different physiological methods with the aid of digital cephalometric tracings using indigenously developed PRO-CEPH V3 software.
  
  
  METHODS
  For the present study a total of 50 dentulous and 25 edentulous patients were selected through inclusion and exclusion criteria. A lateral cephalometric radiograph was taken for all the 50 dentulous subjects at Maximum Intercuspation (VDO) whereas three lateral cephalometric radiographs were obtained for all edentulous patients at the VDO following three different techniques- the Niswonger's method, Phonetics method and Swallowing threshold method. Cephalometric tracings were carried out using indigenously developed PRO-CEPH V3 software. Linear and angular measurement were made and analysed.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The indigenously developed software PRO-CEPH V3 is capable of making both the linear and angular measurement and therefore provide with relative credibility information regarding the possible VDO in the edentulous patients through cephalometric radiography.
authors.affiliation: Professor, Department of Prosthodontics and Implantology, Kamineni Institute of Dental Sciences , Narketpally, Andhra Pradesh, India .
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Sudhir
authors.affiliation: Professor and Head, Department of Prosthodontics and Implantology, Kamineni Institute of Dental Sciences , Narketpally, Andhra Pradesh, India .
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Chittaranjan
authors.affiliation: Post Graduate, Department of Prosthodontics and Implantology, Kamineni Institute of Dental Sciences , Narketpally, Andhra Pradesh, India .
authors.forename: B Arun
authors.initials: BA
authors.lastname: Kumar
authors.affiliation: Professor, Department of Prosthodontics and Implantology, Kamineni Institute of Dental Sciences , Narketpally, Andhra Pradesh, India .
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Taruna
authors.affiliation: Reader, Department of Orthodontics, Kamineni Institute of Dental Sciences , Narketpally, Andhra Pradesh, India .
authors.forename: M Pavan
authors.initials: MP
authors.lastname: Kumar
authors.affiliation: Professor, Department of Prosthodontics and Implantology, Kamineni Institute of Dental Sciences , Narketpally, Andhra Pradesh, India .
authors.forename: M Ramu
authors.initials: MR
authors.lastname: Reddy
keywords: Cephalometric analyses software; Lateral cephalograms; Lower facial height