Semester

Spring

Date of Graduation

2022

Document Type

Thesis

Degree Type

MS

College

School of Dentistry

Department

Orthodontics

Committee Chair

Peter Ngan

Committee Member

Chris Martin

Committee Member

Khaled Alsharif

Abstract

Background and Objectives: Cone beam computed tomography (CBCT) scans in dentistry have been up and coming forms of x-ray technology that allows cross-sectional images to form a comprehensive 3-dimensional representation of the mouth. While the typical use for CBCT imaging is reported to be for implant dentistry, there are many contexts in which it is indicated in orthodontics. There are various schools of thought regarding when CBCT is indicated for specific diagnosis of problems or general use in the collection of initial, progress and post-treatment orthodontic records. There are programs that follow the Radiology guidelines for taking CBCT scans10 and others that prefer the use of 2D panoramic and lateral cephalogram for initial diagnostic records. The purpose of this study is to survey how post-graduate orthodontic graduate programs across the United States are utilizing CBCT scans for initial, progress and post-treatment records. The null hypothesis is that not all orthodontic residency programs in North America are utilizing CBCT scans for initial, progress and post-treatment records. Experimental

Design and Methods (Survey): An electronic survey (via Qualtrics) was emailed to 58 orthodontic residency programs across America. Contact information was obtained from the AAO (American Association of Orthodontists) member directory. Responses were divided into western and eastern states and analyzed for any patterns or trends.

Results: A total of 36 out of 58 orthodontic residency program directors or chairmen completed the survey (62.07%). The large majority of programs have access to an in-house CBCT machine. Only a small handful of programs are utilizing CBCT scans for regular use in initial, progress, and final records. Half of the surveyed American orthodontic residency programs extract 2D images from 3D scans. Western states are slightly more likely to have access to in-house CBCT machines than eastern states, but both regions each showed that the large majorities have access.

Conclusions: In this study, trends of access to, utilization of, and charging of CBCT scans were observed in American orthodontic residency programs. While many recent studies consistently support the notion that 3D CBCT imaging is better than conventional 2D imaging, there seems to be a disconnect with what is clinically being done in reality.

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