title: Assessment of buccal bone thickness of aesthetic maxillary region: a cone-beam computed tomography study.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The aim of this study was to analyze the anatomical dimensions of the buccal bone walls of the aesthetic maxillary region for immediate implant placement, based upon cone-beam computed tomography (CBCT) scans in a sample of adult patients.
  
  
  METHODS
  Two calibrated examiners analyzed a sample of 50 CBCT scans, performing morphometric analyses of both incisors and canines on the left and right sides. Subsequently, in the sagittal view, a line was traced through the major axis of the selected tooth. Then, a second line (E) was traced from the buccal to the palatal wall at the level of the observed bone ridges. The heights of the buccal and palatal bone ridges were determined at the major axis of the tooth. The buccal bone thickness was measured across five lines. The first was at the level of line E. The second was at the most apical point of the tooth, and the other three lines were equidistant between the apical and the cervical lines, and parallel to them. Statistical analysis was performed with a significance level of P≤0.05 for the bone thickness means and standard deviations per tooth and patient for the five lines at varying depths.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The means of the buccal wall thicknesses in the central incisors, lateral incisors and canines were 1.14±0.65 mm, 0.95±0.67 mm and 1.15±0.68 mm, respectively. Additionally, only on the left side were significant differences in some measurements of buccal bone thickness observed according to age and gender. However, age and gender did not show significant differences in heights between the palatal and buccal plates. In a few cases, the buccal wall had a greater height than the palatal wall.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Less than 10% of sites showed more than a 2-mm thickness of the buccal bone wall, with the exception of the central incisor region, wherein 14.4% of cases were ≥2 mm.
authors.affiliation: Research Centre in Dental Sciences (CICO), Universidad de La Frontera Dental School, Temuco, Chile.
authors.forename: Ramón
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Fuentes
authors.affiliation: Research Centre in Dental Sciences (CICO), Universidad de La Frontera Dental School, Temuco, Chile.
authors.forename: Tania
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Flores
authors.affiliation: Research Centre in Dental Sciences (CICO), Universidad de La Frontera Dental School, Temuco, Chile.
authors.forename: Pablo
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Navarro
authors.affiliation: Research Centre in Dental Sciences (CICO), Universidad de La Frontera Dental School, Temuco, Chile.
authors.forename: Carlos
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Salamanca
authors.affiliation: Research Centre in Dental Sciences (CICO), Universidad de La Frontera Dental School, Temuco, Chile.
authors.forename: Víctor
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Beltrán
authors.affiliation: Research Centre in Dental Sciences (CICO), Universidad de La Frontera Dental School, Temuco, Chile. ; Department of Dental Materials and Prosthodontics, University of São Paulo Dental School of Ribeirão Preto, Ribeirão Preto, Brazil.
authors.forename: Eduardo
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Borie
keywords: Alveolar bone; Buccal bone; Cone-Beam Computed Tomography; Dental esthetics