Digital Applications in Orthodontics

Orthodontic and pediatric dental practices can benefit from digital cephalometric imaging, allowing full width lateral, posterior anterior, and reduced width lateral views. The detail from digital imaging also allows for cephalometric hard and soft tissue tracing by exporting DICOM files into specialized software programs for treatment planning. As with other forms of radiation, clinicians need to identify radiology equipment that produces quality images, but also has a lower dosage of radiation. With the CBCT clinicians can choose a unit with a smaller field of view (FOV), thereby reducing the amount of radiation. ^13-14