Soft tissue thickness for placement of an orthodontic miniscrew using an ultrasonic device.
OBJECTIVE
To evaluate area- and gender-related differences in the soft tissue thickness of potential areas for installing miniscrews in the buccal-attached gingiva and the palatal masticatory mucosa.


METHODS
The sample consisted of 61 Korean young adults. An ultrasonic gingival-thickness meter was used to measure the soft-tissue thickness in the buccal-attached gingiva just adjacent to the mucogingival junction of the upper and lower arches and 4 mm and 8 mm below the gingival crest in the palatal masticatory mucosa. Independent t-test, paired t-test, and one-way analysis of variance were used for statistical analysis.


RESULTS
Buccal-attached gingiva thickness in the upper arch was significantly greater in men than in women, but buccal-attached gingiva thickness in the lower arch and palatal masticatory mucosa thickness 4 and 8 mm below the gingival crest did not show gender differences. Significantly thicker soft tissue occurred in the anterior areas in the upper arch and in the posterior areas in the lower arch. In the palatal masticatory mucosa, significantly thicker soft tissue was found 4 mm below the gingival crest in the anterior areas and 8 mm below the gingival crest in the posterior areas. The areas between the canines and the premolars showed higher values than other areas 4 mm below the gingival crest. However, the soft-tissue thickness 8 mm below the gingival crest showed a progressive increase from the anterior to the posterior areas.


CONCLUSIONS
Measurements of the soft-tissue thickness using an ultrasonic device could help practitioners select the proper orthodontic miniscrew in daily clinical practice.
Cha
Bong-Kuen
BK
Department of Orthodontics, College of Dentistry, Kangnung National University, Kangnung, Kangwondo, Republic of Korea.
Lee
Yeon-Hee
YH
Lee
Nam-Ki
NK
Choi
Dong-Soon
DS
Baek
Seung-Hak
SH
D000328:Adult; D001641:Bicuspid / Q000033:anatomy & histology / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D002508:Cephalometry / Q000379:methods; D003481:Cuspid / Q000033:anatomy & histology / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D003724:Dental Arch / Q000033:anatomy & histology / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D005260:Female; D005881:Gingiva / Q000033:anatomy & histology / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D006801:Humans; D007180:Incisor / Q000033:anatomy & histology / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D008297:Male; D008334:Mandible / Q000033:anatomy & histology / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D008437:Maxilla / Q000033:anatomy & histology / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D008963:Molar / Q000033:anatomy & histology / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D009061:Mouth Mucosa / Q000033:anatomy & histology / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D052280:Orthodontic Anchorage Procedures / Q000295:instrumentation*; D012737:Sex Factors; D014463:Ultrasonography