3D palatal superimposition in adolescent orthodontic patients treated without extractions: method validation

Area of Science:

• Orthodontics and Dentofacial Orthopedics
• Biomedical Engineering
• Dental Morphology

Background:

• Accurate 3D superimposition of serial dental models is crucial for assessing treatment outcomes in orthodontics.
• The palate offers a stable reference area for superimposition, but optimal region selection requires investigation.
• Growing patients treated without extractions present unique challenges for superimposition due to continuous skeletal changes.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the morphological stability, trueness, and precision of four distinct palatal areas for 3D superimposition.
• To identify the most reliable palatal region for serial maxillary dental model superimposition in growing orthodontic patients undergoing non-extraction treatment.

Main Methods:

• Retrospective analysis of 25 patients' pre- (T0) and post- (T1) treatment 3D dental models.
• Morphological stability assessed using color-coded distance maps after superimposition.
• Trueness measured by Mean Absolute Distances (MAD); precision evaluated by tooth torque and rotation changes.

Main Results:

• Palatal surface morphology changed at the 0.5 mm level due to treatment and growth.
• Areas A, B, and C demonstrated trueness below 0.3 mm; Area D showed reduced trueness.
• Area B offered the best overall performance, balancing trueness and precision, with Area D showing the highest precision but lower trueness.

Conclusions:

• Area B, encompassing the medial 2/3 of the third ruga and extending posteriorly, is recommended for palatal superimposition.
• This method provides reliable assessment of morphological changes in growing orthodontic patients treated without extractions.
• The findings support the broad applicability of this palatal superimposition technique for reliable dental model analysis.