Sub Sinus Ridge Height at First Molar Region- A Panoramic Radiograph Based Study.

Area of Science:

• Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery
• Dental Implantology
• Radiology

Background:

• Dental implants are a common replacement for maxillary molars, requiring assessment of available bone.
• Panoramic radiographs (orthopantomograms) are standard for preliminary ridge height evaluation.
• This study aimed to measure subsinus ridge height at maxillary first molar sites.

Purpose of the Study:

• To assess and compare subsinus ridge height at dentulous and edentulous maxillary first molar sites.
• To provide data for planning dental implant placement in the maxillary molar region.
• To evaluate the need for bone augmentation in the Nepalese population.

Main Methods:

• A cross-sectional study analyzed 455 orthopantomograms from March to November 2019.
• Carestream imaging software was used to measure the distance from the alveolar crest to the maxillary sinus.
• Measurements were taken at the first molar region for both dentulous and edentulous sites.

Main Results:

• Mean minimal subsinus ridge height was 8.16 ± 2.6 mm at non-missing first molar sites.
• Mean minimal subsinus ridge height was 5.25 ± 2.28 mm at missing first molar sites (p<0.001).
• Significant differences in ridge height were observed across age groups (p<0.001).

Conclusions:

• Missing maxillary first molar sites frequently require vertical bone augmentation and sinus lifting for dental implant replacement.
• These findings are relevant for the Nepalese population undergoing dental implant treatment.
• Adequate pre-surgical assessment of ridge height is crucial for successful maxillary molar implantology.