title: Tomographic mapping of the hard palate and overlying mucosa.
abstract: The aim of this study was to measure the thickness of the hard palate and its overlying mucosa using cone-beam computed tomography (CBCT), for purposes of miniscrew placement. The sample comprised 36 CBCT scans of patients aged 12 to 52 years from a database of the Orthodontics Department of the Federal University of Rio de Janeiro. Paracoronal views of the palatal region were reconstructed at 4, 8, 16 and 24 mm posterior to the incisive foramen. In each reconstruction measurements were taken at the suture, 3 mm and 6 mm bilaterally to it. Wilcoxon's test verified the differences between the selected regions. Total bone height decreased from the anterior to the posterior region. In cross sections 4, 16 and 24, bone height decreased from the suture laterally to the 3 mm region and then increased in the 6 mm region. The cortical thickness does not seem to be a concern because it presented a mean thickness of at least 1 mm at all sites evaluated. The measurements of the mucosa thickness decreased from lateral to median and from anterior to posterior regions. The most suitable areas for miniscrew placement in the palate are located 4 mm posterior to the incisive foramen, in the median or paramedian regions 3 mm adjacent to the suture.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pedodontics and Orthodontics, Federal University of Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brazil.
authors.forename: Mariana
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Marquezan
authors.forename: Lincoln Issamu
authors.initials: LI
authors.lastname: Nojima
authors.forename: Amanda Osório Ayres de
authors.initials: AO
authors.lastname: Freitas
authors.forename: Carolina
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Baratieri
authors.forename: Matheus
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Alves Júnior
authors.forename: Matilde da Cunha Gonçalves
authors.initials: Mda C
authors.lastname: Nojima
authors.forename: Mônica Tirre de Souza
authors.initials: MT
authors.lastname: Araújo
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D002648:Child; D054893:Cone-Beam Computed Tomography / Q000379:methods; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009061:Mouth Mucosa / Q000033:anatomy & histology / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D009929:Organ Size; D052280:Orthodontic Anchorage Procedures; D021362:Palate, Hard / Q000033:anatomy & histology / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D012016:Reference Values; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D018709:Statistics, Nonparametric; D055815:Young Adult