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Updated: Jun 15, 2026
Extracting Metrics for Three-dimensional Root Systems: Volume and Surface Analysis from In-soil X-ray Computed Tomography Data
Published on: April 26, 2016
Root-contact evaluation by panoramic radiography and cone-beam computed tomography of super-high resolution
Michael Leuzinger1, Alexander Dudic, Catherine Giannopoulou
1Private Practice, Winterthur, Switzerland.
Introduction:
Correct tooth position in the 3 planes of space is a major objective of orthodontic treatment. The aim of this study was to determine whether a panoramic radiograph (OPT) provides a true assessment of the mesiodistal root relationship of adjacent teeth.
Methods:
OPTs of 22 patients near the end of treatment with fixed appliances in both arches were taken before debonding. When the roots of adjacent teeth were touching on the OPT, cone-beam computed tomography (CBCT) was used to show the true root relationships.
Results:
We evaluated 235 interdental sites by OPT and CBCT; 47 areas showed contact between adjacent roots in the OPT images. However, the CBCT images showed true contact in only 5 of these areas; ie, 11% of the diagnoses based on OPT images were true positive, whereas the rest (89%) was false positive. One hundred eighty-eight sites showed no contact in the OPT images; this was confirmed by CBCT.
Conclusions:
OPT has high sensitivity and relatively high specificity to detect adjacent roots touching each other. Root contacts are overestimated when evaluated by OPT.
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