Abstract
In pediatric dentistry, examination of the development of crown or tooth root is essential to determine the physiological development age. Measurements of the tooth size and dental arch width are also required to predict normal occlusion and oral function, and to plan appropriate dental treatment. Some dental anomalies are keys to identify congenital malformation syndromes. In patients with behavioral disorders, it is quite difficult to take diagnostic dental models and pantomographs, since patient co-operation and stability in body movement for a few minutes is necessary while taking the dental impression and pantomographs. For patients with severe mental retardation and behavioral disorders, performing computed tomography under general anesthesia or deep sedation is easier than taking pantomographs while awake. The aim of the present study was to compare the tooth development stage on pantomographs and mesiodistal diameter measurements of tooth size and dental arch width of dry human skulls with the images of those on 128 multi-detector row computed tomography (MDCT). Based on the results, the measurements of tooth development stage, tooth size and dental arch width on MDCT images were clinically precise.
