Accuracy of Cone-Beam Computed Tomography Software in Predicting the Size of Impacted Canine: A Preliminary Study

To compare and analyze the precision, accuracy, and reliability of commonly used cone-beam computed tomography (CBCT) software in predicting the mesiodistal diameter of impacted canines.

This study was conducted on 11 patients (six males and five females, mean age: 17.5±5.5 years) with either unilateral or bilateral impacted canines in the maxilla or mandible. DICOM data sets of the patients obtained from CBCT scans were then loaded and visualized with four selected CBCT software to measure the widest mesiodistal diameter of the impacted teeth. Physical measurements using a digital vernier caliper, kept as a control, were also made on the extracted teeth and orthodontically erupted teeth. The collected data underwent statistical analysis, and the statistical significance level was set at p<0.05.

The Bland-Altman analysis was performed to quantify the agreement between different software to the digital caliper, showing a narrow difference for all plots. Kruskal-Wallis ANOVA test followed by a post hoc test was performed to determine whether there was any difference in measuring the mesiodistal diameter of the impacted canine among the five methods, and tend no statistically significant difference was found among the five methods. Intraclass correlation (ICC) was performed, and measurements made with all CBCT software yielded an ICC greater than 0.95, indicating high reliability of the selected software.

All the evaluated CBCT imaging software exhibited a high degree of reliability, and accuracy in precise measurement of the mesiodistal diameter of an impacted tooth.