Black Ethnicity Influences Gingival and Bone Thickness: A Cross-Sectional Study

The present study aimed to use CBCT to compare the influence of White and Black ethnicity on gingival and bone thickness. A total of 84 individuals of both genders, aged between 18 and 59 years old, were divided into Black (BG; n = 42) and White (WG; n = 42) groups and were analyzed from June 2020 to April 2021. The gingival thickness (GT) and buccal bone plate thickness (BBPT) were measured using CBCT in all maxillary anterior teeth. Mann-Whitney, t test, chi-square, Pearson correlation, and Spearman correlation were used for comparisons and correlations with a 5% signif- icance level. Black individuals had mean GT (1.45 ± 0.29 mm) and BBPT (1.07 ± 0.21 mm) significant- ly thicker (gingival: P < .0001; bone: P = .0002) than White individuals (1.17 ± 0.28 mm and 0.91 ±0.17 mm, respectively). The variables presented greater values for men. A positive correlation be- tween the BBPT and GT was found in two teeth in the WG (left and right central incisors) and one tooth in the BG (left canine). Moreover, a correlation between BBPT and GT immediately below the alveolar bone crest (0 mm) was found in four teeth in the WG (left and right lateral and central incisors) and the BG (left and right canine, left lateral and central incisors). Black race was shown to significantly influence the GT and BBPT, with Black patients presenting thicker structures than White patients.