Original Article
Published on 15-10-2001
In
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En Español, por favor
Cephalometric software: a trial on the road
G. Floria*, A.R. Mazzocchi**
* DDS
** MD DDS.
Corresponding author: Dr. Gabriele Floria Via Cairoli 82, 50131 Firenze Italy.
Note: The authors have no financial interest in the products described in this article.
Introduction
The cephalometric software market offers at least 20 good products and it is extremely difficult to compare them because orthodontists have different claims. Visual imaging, diagnosis, planning process, and case report presentation are today the fields where the software house must work to obtain the market favor. In this paper we report our personal feelings about the trial of a cephalometric software called Onyx Ceph® 2.4 English version developed by Image Instruments GmbH, a German company. A real case report was prepared following the normal steps in our office to evaluate this product "on the road".
Software Analysis
Installation:
The procedure is easy and fast, it creates automatically links and menus.
Look and Feel:
At first look the vocal support can appear to be only a fancy gadget. The software presents itself and sends regards talking with a female voice, but during data input it can be useful for speeding up the process. The software accepts input from scanners (TWAIN), digital camera, digital X-ray systems, and a large amount of image formats can be used.
Usability:
The windows disposition is very effective and the main image is automatically adjusted with the needed percentage of zoom. The main picture, 2/3 of the screen, has on the left three boxes with navigation and zoom functions. We liked a lot this opportunity to zoom only the needed area during an analysis, because it helps the positioning of the cephalometric landmarks and consequently increases the precision. The first menu, "Patient", opens different choices, but we had difficulty in finding out (without reading the help file) that after new patient data we had to go on to "new finding" in the same menu. In our opinion, a different definition, like "open image" or "new input", could be more user friendly. The menu bar and the buttons are intuitive and easy to use. The increasing step can be adjustable from the image processing tool (left mouse button) allowing a good control for each function. Among this functions a very useful tool is the magnifying glass, a lens with 4 different sizes and magnification. On the contrary the "pseudocolor" function is almost unuseful but fancy. Usability is very good and the global architecture realize an intuitive software.
Analysis of the Association of Austrian Orthodontists
Analysis according to Hasund (BERGEN-Analysis)
Analysis of the University of Bern
Craniofacial Analysis according to Burstone
Soft Tissue Profile Analysis acc. to Burstone
Clark - Correlative Analysis
Clark - Linear Craniofacial Analysis
Downs Analysis
Dual Plane Analysis
Epker & Fish - Soft Tissue Analysis
Analysis of the University of Frankfurt
Analysis of the University of Freiburg
Analysis acc. to Harvold
Analysis of the University of Innsbruck
ISV - Graphic "Actual-Nominal-Comparison" acc. to Hollmann / Haberler
Jarabak - Dental Analysis
Jarabak - Skeletal Analysis
Lip Analysis
Analysis acc. to Mc Gann
Analysis acc. to Mc Namara
Analysis of the University of Münster
Profile Analysis
Rakosi - Metric Analysis
Rakosi - Sagittal Analysis
Rakosi - Incisor Analysis
Rakosi - Vertical Analysis
Ricketts - 11- Factors-Short-Analysis
Analysis acc. to Riedel
Schmuth - Differential AnalysisSchwarz - Gnathometric Analysis
Schwarz - Craniometric Analysis
Steiner - Analysis
Analysis of the University of Tübingen
Tweed - Triangle
Analysis of the University of Ulm
Soft Tissue Profile Analysis
Modified Zürich-Analysis
Analysis of the University of Münster XV-Point-Analysis acc. to Ehmer
Analysis acc. to Ricketts
Growth Analysis Arch length
Bolton - Anterior Ratio
Bolton - Overall Ratio
Herren - Arcogram specific
Pont-Index
Korkhaus - Arch Analysis
Linder & Harth - Arch Analysis
Lundström - Segment Analysis
Mühlberg et al. - Arch Analysis
Pont-Index
Supporting zone
Analysis
Symmetry
Tonn - Ratio of the incisor's widths
Weise - Space Analysis
Ballard-Wylie
- Expected need of space
Berendonk -Expected need of space
Carey -Expected need of space
Droschl -Correlative prediction
Herren -Arcogram specific
Pont-Index
Huckaba - Expected need of space
Korkhaus - Arch Analysis
Linder & Harth - Arch Analysis
Moyers - Expected need of space
Mühlberg et al. - Arch Analysis
Müller - modified Tanaka-Analysis
Pont-Index
Tanaka - Expected need of space
Tonn - Ratio of incisor's widths
Tübingen - Primary teeth index
Weise - Space Analysis
Dental age acc. to Demirjian
Implant Survey
Dental age acc. to the University of Tübingen
Lip Analysis
Profile Analysis acc. to A.M.Schwarz
Proportional Analysis
Proportional Analysis acc. to Legan & Burstone
Soft tissue Analysis acc. to Epker & Fish
Soft tissue Analysis acc. to Rakosi
Analysis of the University of Tübingen for lateral photographs
Divine Proportion
Golden Ruler
Symmetry
Analysis of the University of Tübingen for frontal photographs
Interoperability
We define interoperability as the ability of a program to interact with software and hardware that surrounds it. It monitors the exchange of data and it is very important for the end user. This software accepts input from a digital camera (e.g. Nikon coolpix, or pixera), from flat bed scanners (TWAIN protocol), from dental scanners (OREX Combi-X 2000, GENDEX DenOptix Ceph., SOREDEX Digora PCT) and Digital X-ray Systems (SIRONA Orthophos DS Ceph, PLANMECA Dimax2). The software house does not communicate the file format for software interoperability in the english version, even if a button to call a practice management software is available from the main menu. More information are available from the german documentation files.Treatment simulation:
A treatment simulation tool is included to model complex orthodontic and surgical treatment details, and to simulate facial soft tissue deformation based on empirical and numerical approaches. The resulting patient profile belonging to the displaced tooth and/or bone structure can be generated to visualize the treatment objective.
Defining multiple regions is possible to simulate and illustrate orthodontic and surgical treatment objectives. Each region can be named individually, divided in new regions, shifted, rotated, and deleted.
The soft tissue deformation is illustrated depending on the movements of the regions (e.g. bone structures) based on empirical or numerical models which have to be edited or preselected from an internal library by the user.
Today the result presentation has big importance in showing treatment result and our main request as orthodontists is to obtain complete, accurate, and well formatted reports in a short time. Furthermore, we want to exchange the patient data through Internet for consultation, or referral.
This software can generate complete Java case reports including harmony box, facial growth pattern, tabular data, transparent superimposition, Epker and Fish, and the complete pictures series.
The self-extracting file can easily go on Internet if the image dimensions are not too big.
We appreciated a good level of image improvement tools (considering the group of cephalometric software available in the market), but we could not test the printouts because the received software was a trial version. In our opinion this presentation form is very useful for professional and teaching purposes, but not very useful to show to patients because they appreciate mostly the before&after visualization.
Conclusion:
We tested a real orthodontic case in the Onyx Ceph Software and we can say that this software is one of the most complete products in the market for functions, tools, and ready to use cephalometric analysis.
The software appears to be stable, reliable and user friendly. Some improvements can be made in the JAVA case report to allow two pictures on the same screen for a better comparison of the treatment.
Using a Java engine, the software is able to produce case reports easily for any standard Internet browser. This feature is important for professional online correspondence and publishing of online journals.
We do not want to express considerations about the prices but we appreciated the opportunity of choosing between Open Subscription License (OSL) and Runtime License (RL). Renewing OSL registration is offered in time but not required.
We consider this (OSL) policy convenient for professionals because it requires less investment on the product but also mainly because it represents a concrete obligation from the software house to update regularly and maintain a competitive product. In addition, this software is an all-in-one package and this has been appreciated to avoid hidden costs connected with separate modules or features.
References:
To cite this article please write:
G. Floria, A.R. Mazzocchi. Cephalometric software: a trial on the road. Virtual Journal of Orthodontics [serial online] 2001 Oct 15; 4(2): Available from URL:http://www.vjo.it/042/ceph.htm
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