Abstract:
Objective: To evaluate and compare the error in cephalometric measurements by manual and computerized methods, with the Dolphin Imaging version 11.0 and Dentofacial Planner version 7.02. Material and Methods: The sample comprised 45 lateral cephalometric radiographs. A properly calibrated operator, conducted 90 manual and 180 digital cephalometric tracings, using 8 angular measurements (SNA, SNB, ANB, FMA, 1.NA, 1.NB, SN-Oclusal, SN-GoGn) and five linear measurements (1-NA, 1-NB, Co-Gn, Co-A e LAFH). For analysis of the results, it was used to compare the error of each method (intragroup error) the dependent t test, and for comparison of the measurements among the three methods, the test used was one-way ANOVA and Tukey test in the presence of a significant result. Results: The results showed statistically significant differences, especially among the measures evaluated in the Dolphin program and manual tracing (p> 0.05). Conclusions: The confidence in the results of computerized cephalometric can be increased, since the discrepancies found among the manual and computerized cephalometric measurements, most were not statistically significant when comparing programs separately, and relevant statistically significant when compared with the manual tracing program. The three cephalometric methods have proven to be accurate, since they presented few systematic errors. The computerized method using the Dentofacial Planner software was the program that showed the highest reliability, followed by the manual method, and the Dolphin Imaging software was the less effective and more likely to produce systematic errors in the identification of points.
