Application of a case-based expert system to orthodontic diagnosis and treatment planning.

Expert systems are being utilised increasingly in medical fields for the purposes of assisting diagnosis and treatment planning. A case-based system is a particular type of expert system that uses a store of previously treated cases to provide the knowledge for solving new problems. The aim of this study was to investigate the application of this methodology in the field of orthodontic diagnosis and treatment planning. Using a limited group of features, a case-base of 300 cases was entered into a case-based expert system shell. A test set of 30 consecutive cases was then used to test the diagnostic capacity of the system. The computer-generated treatment plan matched the actual treatment plan in 24 of the 30 cases. The system was also tested for its capacity to handle unusual cases. The system has useful potential.