Assessment of buccal bone thickness in the anterior maxilla: A cone beam computed tomography study

Abstract

Objectives: The aim of this study was to evaluate buccal bone thickness by cone beam computed tomography (CBCT) in patients in both genders and in different age groups. Materials and Methods: Our study included 186 anterior teeth and 62 patients with CBCT images. Buccal bone thickness was measured at the crest level, and at a distance 1 and 2 mm apical to the crest level. The t-test and ANOVA test were used in analyzing data. Results: It was found out that age and gender were not significantly associated with the buccal bone thickness of anterior teeth (p > 0.05). The mean buccal bone thickness was the highest as 1.91 mm around the right canines and it was the lowest as 0.35 mm surrounding the right lateral incisor. Conclusions: Our study demonstrated that the mean buccal bone thickness increased towards the apical region for all three teeth types. CBCT precisely measures the maxillary bone thickness and may facilitate the planning process for placing implants and scheduling other types of surgeries correctly.