title: Relationship between buccal bone and gingival thickness revisited using non-invasive registration methods.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To determine the relationship between buccal bone and soft tissue thickness at teeth in the premaxilla by means of non-invasive registration methods.
  
  
  METHODS
  Buccal bone thickness at central incisors, lateral incisors and canines was measured at five reference points (1-5 mm from the top of the alveolar crest) on CB-CT scans of 21 patients. The corresponding buccal gingival thickness was measured by the use of an ultrasonic device. Spearman's correlation coefficient was calculated to assess the correlation between buccal bone and soft tissue thickness at each tooth type.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Mean buccal bone thickness (SD) at central incisors, lateral incisors and canines was 1.07 mm (0.34 mm), 1.16 mm (0.54 mm) and 0.98 mm (0.37 mm), respectively. For central incisors, 68% of all sites had a thickness <1 mm and 32% had a thickness between 1.0 and 2.0 mm. At lateral incisors, 44% demonstrated buccal bone thickness between 0 and 1.0 mm, 48% between 1.0 and 2.0 mm and 8% ≥2 mm. For canines, 57% of the sites were <1 mm thick; 41% were between 1.0 and 2.0 mm thick, and 2% demonstrated ≥2 mm thickness. Mean gingival thickness (SD) at central incisors, lateral incisors and canines was 1.37 mm (0.32 mm), 1.33 mm (0.32 mm) and 1.08 mm (0.25 mm), respectively. The correlation between buccal bone and soft tissue thickness was moderately positive (ρ = 0.406; P < 0.001).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  A thin buccal bone wall (<1 mm) may be expected in over half of the central incisors and canines. The correlation between buccal bone and soft tissue thickness was moderately positive.
authors.affiliation: Department of Periodontology & Oral Implantology, Vrije Universiteit Brussel (VUB), Brussels, Belgium.
authors.forename: Faris
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Younes
authors.affiliation: Department of Periodontology & Oral Implantology, Vrije Universiteit Brussel (VUB), Brussels, Belgium.
authors.forename: Aryan
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Eghbali
authors.affiliation: Department of Periodontology & Oral Implantology, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium.
authors.forename: Margot
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Raes
authors.affiliation: Department of Periodontology & Oral Implantology, Vrije Universiteit Brussel (VUB), Brussels, Belgium.
authors.forename: Thomas
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: De Bruyckere
authors.affiliation: Department of Periodontology & Oral Implantology, Vrije Universiteit Brussel (VUB), Brussels, Belgium.|Department of Periodontology & Oral Implantology, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium.
authors.forename: Jan
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Cosyn
authors.affiliation: Department of Periodontology & Oral Implantology, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium.|Department of Prosthodontics, Malmo University, Malmo, Sweden.
authors.forename: Hugo
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: De Bruyn
mesh_terms: D000539:Alveolar Process / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D003481:Cuspid; D005881:Gingiva / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D006801:Humans; D007180:Incisor; D008334:Mandible / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*
keywords: CB-CT; buccal bone; periodontal biotype; soft tissue; ultrasonic device