Objective: The aim of this study was to compare the reliability of three different methods of cephalometric analysis. Material and Methods: Conventional pretreatment lateral cephalograms and cone beam computed tomography (CBCT) scans from 50 subjects from a radiological clinic were selected in order to test the three methods: manual tracings (MT), digitized lateral cephalograms (DLC), and lateral cephalograms from CBCT (LC-CBCT). The lateral cephalograms were manually analyzed through the Dolphin Imaging 11.0™ software. Twenty measurements were performed under the same conditions, and retraced after a 30-day period. Paired t tests and the Dahlberg formula were used to evaluate the intra-examiner errors. The Pearson's correlation coefficient and one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA) tests were used to compare the differences between the methods. Results: Intra-examiner reliability occurred for all methods for most of the measurements. Only six measurements were different between the methods and an agreement was observed in the analyses among the 3 methods. Conclusions: The results demonstrated that all evaluated methodologies are reliable and valid for scientific research, however, the method used in the lateral cephalograms from the CBCT proved the most reliable.

OBJETIVO E METODOLOGIA: o presente estudo prospectivo objetivou analisar cefalometricamente as alterações dentoesqueléticas e do perfil tegumentar após o tratamento ortodôntico de casos com extrações dos quatro primeiros pré-molares. A amostra consistiu de 30 jovens de ambos os gêneros, com idade média inicial de 12 anos e 4 meses, portadores de má oclusão Classe II, 1ª divisão de Angle. As principais referências do trabalho concentram-se nas grandezas cefalométricas dos incisivos superiores e inferiores em relação às coordenadas vertical e horizontal, bem como às alterações dos lábios e ângulo nasolabial pré e pós-tratamento. RESULTADOS: os resultados demonstraram que houve retração média dos incisivos superiores de 3,4mm e dos inferiores de 1,8mm. O ponto A sofreu discreta alteração devido à retração dos incisivos superiores, discriminada pela diminuição média do ângulo SNA (1,7 graus). Houve melhora na relação maxilomandibular, demonstrada pela diminuição das grandezas Wits e ANB. Não houve diferenças estaticamente significantes para as grandezas cefalométricas SN.GoGn e SN.GoMe, embora a altura facial ântero-inferior tenha aumentado, em decorrência do crescimento craniofacial normal. Observou-se que para cada 1mm de retração dos incisivos superiores, o ângulo nasolabial aumentou significativamente 2,8 graus, muito embora tenha ocorrido grande variabilidade individual. CONCLUSÃO: conclui-se que o tratamento com extrações de primeiros pré-molares sobre o perfil facial não se relaciona obrigatoriamente com o "achatamento" do mesmo, sendo também dependente da quantidade de apinhamento no pré-tratamento. As alterações foram decorrentes do crescimento e desenvolvimento facial, da quantidade de retração e da efetiva ancoragem durante a retração dos incisivos superiores e inferiores.

OBJECTIVE: the purpose of this prospective study was to cephalometrically analyze the dentoalveolar and soft tissue changes after the orthodontic treatment followed by the extraction of four premolars. MATERIAL ANS METHODS: the sample was comprised by 30 Class II division 1 patients with mean initial age of 12 years and 4 months. Two lateral cephalograms were obtained from each patient at the beginning and at the end of the treatment. The variables analyzed were the nasalabial changes and upper and lower incisors changes in relation to a vertical and horizontal x and y reference lines. RESULTS: upper and lower incisors retraction was 3.4 and 1.8mm, respectively. The SNA angle was decresead by 1.7 degrees followed by a retraction of point A mainly due to the upper incisor retraction. There was a significant decrease of the Wits and ANB variables. There was an increase in the lower anterior facial height. Upper incisor retraction was followed by an increase in the nasolabial angle (ratio 1:2.8 degrees). However, a wide range of individual variability was found. CONCLUSIONS: the present study did not support the simple expectation that treatment with extractions of four premolars will result in a dished in face. It appeared that facial changes were more related to a normal facial growth, the amount of incisor retraction and the anchorage control during the upper and lower incisor.