Progress of Multimodal Imaging: Bridging Orthodontics to Comprehensive Oral Multidisciplinary Care

Area of Science:

• Orthodontics
• Medical Imaging
• Data Fusion

Background:

• Traditional orthodontic diagnosis relies on physical models and imaging, which have limitations in resolution, specificity, and data continuity.
• Single-modal data hinders precise clinical decision-making in modern orthodontics.
• Multimodal data fusion integrates diverse medical data to leverage individual strengths and overcome deficiencies.

Purpose of the Study:

• To review the application value and research progress of multimodal data fusion in orthodontics.
• To provide insights into future development directions for multimodal data fusion in orthodontics.

Main Methods:

• A literature review was conducted using PubMed and Web of Science.
• Focused on contemporary clinical literature concerning multimodal data fusion technology.

Main Results:

• Identified eight types of orthodontic data with distinct characteristics.
• Multimodal data fusion shows significant value in orthodontic diagnosis, treatment, and multidisciplinary collaboration (orthodontics, oral surgery, prosthodontics).
• Enables comprehensive analytical models with multidimensional biomechanical parameters for dynamic treatment monitoring and outcome evaluation.

Conclusions:

• Multimodal data fusion technology offers substantial clinical value in orthodontics, supporting precise treatment and interdisciplinary collaboration.
• Standardized data platforms enhance communication among specialists, improving oral healthcare quality.
• Future work should focus on improving fusion accuracy and integrating more dynamic data for efficient and precise oral healthcare.