Anthropometric analysis of maxillary anterior buccal bone of Korean adults using cone-beam CT

The aim of this study was to evaluate the thickness of buccal and palatal alveolar bone and buccal bony curvature below root apex in maxillary anterior teeth of Korean adults using Cone-beam CT images.

The 3D image was reconstructed with dicom file obtained through CBCT from 20 - 39 year old Korean subjects (n = 20). The thickness of buccal and palatal plate, root diameter, the buccal bony curvature angle below root apex and the distance from root apex to the deepest point of buccal bony curvature were measured on maxillary anterior teeth area using OnDemand3D program.

Mean thickness of buccal plate 3 mm below CEJ was 0.68 ± 0.29 mm at central incisor, 0.76 ± 0.59 mm at lateral incisor, and 1.07 ± 0.80 mm at canine. Mean thickness of palatal plate 3 mm below CEJ was 1.53 ± 0.55 mm of central incisor, 1.18 ± 0.66 mm of lateral incisor, 1.42 ± 0.77 mm of canine. Bucco-lingual diameter 3 mm below CEJ was 5.13 ± 0.37 mm of central incisor, 4.58 ± 0.46 mm of lateral incisor, and 5.93 ± 0.47 mm of canine. Buccal bony curvature angle below root apex was 134.7 ± 17.5° at central incisor, 151.0 ± 13.9° at lateral incisor, 153.0 ± 9.5° at canine. Distance between root apex and the deepest point of buccal bony curvature of central incisor was 3.67 ± 1.28 mm at central incisor, 3.90 ± 1.51 mm at lateral incisor, and 5.13 ± 1.70 mm at canine.

Within the limitation of this study in Korean adults, the thickness of maxillary anterior buccal plate was very thin within 1mm and the thickness of palatal plate was thick, relatively. The buccal bony curvature below root apex of maxillary central incisor was higher than that of lateral incisor and canine and it seems that the buccal bony plate below root apex of central incisor is most curved.