Assessment of Reliability of Cone-beam Computed Tomography in Skeletal and Dental Discrepancy

Aim The present study was conducted to evaluate the reliability of cone-beam computed tomography (CBCT) in dental asymmetry with skeletal midline deviation. Materials and methods This study was conducted on 124 patients (males 52, females 72) who underwent orthodontic treatment. The CBCT scan was obtained with the Planmica machine. Three maxillofacial radiologists evaluated 10 landmarks and 12 distances on maxillary and mandibular arches on CBCT images in all patients. Results Interobserver mean difference at point 1 was 0.33; point 2, 0.34; point 3, 0.32; point 4, 0.58; point 5, 0.56; point 6, 0.44; point 7, 0.28; point 8, 0.22; point 9, 0.54; point 10, 0.21; point 11, 0.34; and point 12, 0.36. The discrepancy between intra- and interobserver was not considerable (p > 0.05). Conclusion Cone-beam computed tomography is useful for diagnosis of skeletal asymmetry. Clinical significance Cone-beam computed tomography is a reliable and reproducible tool for diagnosis of skeletal asymmetry for successful orthodontic treatment.