Evidence map›Paper›PMID 40375317›Full record

ArticleBMC oral health2025

Hierarchical clustering analysis & machine learning models for diagnosing skeletal classes I and II in German patients.

Eva Paddenberg-Schubert, Kareem Midlej, Sebastian Krohn, Iqbal M Lone, Osayd Zohud, Obaida Awadi, Samir Masarwa, Christian Kirschneck, Nezar Watted, Peter Proff and 1 more

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in BMC oral health, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 2 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
2citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

2 citing papers in PubMed.

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4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

11 authors.

Eva Paddenberg-Schubert *Department of Orthodontics, University Hospital of Regensburg, University of Regensburg, Regensburg, 93047, Germany.
Kareem Midlej *Department of Clinical Microbiology and Immunology, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, 6997801, Israel.
Sebastian Krohn *Department of Orthodontics, University Hospital of Regensburg, University of Regensburg, Regensburg, 93047, Germany.
Iqbal M LoneDepartment of Clinical Microbiology and Immunology, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, 6997801, Israel.
Osayd ZohudDepartment of Clinical Microbiology and Immunology, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, 6997801, Israel.
Obaida AwadiCenter for Dentistry Research and Aesthetics, Jatt, 4491800, Israel.
Samir MasarwaCenter for Dentistry Research and Aesthetics, Jatt, 4491800, Israel.
Christian KirschneckDepartment of Orthodontics, University of Bonn, Bonn, D-53111 , Germany.
Nezar WattedCenter for Dentistry Research and Aesthetics, Jatt, 4491800, Israel.
Peter Proff *Department of Orthodontics, University Hospital of Regensburg, University of Regensburg, Regensburg, 93047, Germany.
Fuad A Iraqi *Department of Orthodontics, University Hospital of Regensburg, University of Regensburg, Regensburg, 93047, Germany. fuadi@tauex.tau.ac.il.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundClassification is one of the most common tasks in artificial intelligence (AI) driven fields in dentistry and orthodontics. The AI abilities can significantly improve the orthodontist's critical mission to diagnose and treat patients precisely, promptly, and efficiently. Therefore, this study aims to develop a machine-learning model to classify German orthodontic patients as skeletal class I or II based on minimal cephalometric parameters. Eventually, clustering analysis was done to understand the differences between clusters within the same or different skeletal classes.

methodsA total of 556 German orthodontic patients were classified into skeletal class I (n = 210) and II (n = 346) using the individualized ANB. Hierarchical clustering analysis used the Euclidean distances between data points and Ward's minimum variance method. Six machine learning models (random forest (RF), K-nearest neighbor (KNN), support vector machine (SVM), linear discriminant analysis (LDA), classification and regression trees (CART), and General Linear Model (GLM)) were evaluated considering their accuracy, reliability, sensitivity, and specificity in diagnosing skeletal class I and II.

resultsThe clustering analysis results showed the power of this tool to cluster the results into two-three clusters that interestingly varied significantly in many cephalometric parameters, including NL-ML angle, NL-NSL angle, PFH/AFH ratio, gonial angle, SNB, Go-Me (mm), Wits appraisal, ML-NSL, and part of the dental parameters. The CART model achieved 100% accuracy by considering all cephalometric and demographic variables, while the KNN model performed well with three input parameters (ANB, Wits, SNB) only.

conclusionsThe KNN model with three key variables demonstrated sufficient accuracy for classifying skeletal classes I and II, supporting efficient and still personalized orthodontic diagnostics and treatment planning. Further studies with balanced sample sizes are needed for validation.

Indexed as

Machine LearningMalocclusion, Angle Class IMalocclusion, Angle Class IIAdolescentAdultCephalometryCluster AnalysisDiscriminant AnalysisFemaleGermanyHumansMaleReproducibility of ResultsSensitivity and SpecificitySupport Vector MachineYoung AdultCephalometric analysisMachine learningPersonalized orthodonticsSkeletal malocclusion

Identifiers

PMID40375317
PMCPMC12083114

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Registered trials

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.