title: Bone thickness of the anterior palate for orthodontic miniscrews.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To determine the bone thickness in the anterior palate and to test whether there is any dependency between bone thickness and patient's age or gender and whether there is any difference between left and right sides.
  
  
  METHODS
  Cone beam computed tomographic (CBCT) evaluations (n  =  431; 229 females, 202 males) of healthy orthodontic patients aged 9-30 years were selected from the database of the imaging center network Mesantis. In each CBCT image, palatal bone thickness was determined as the median and 2, 4, 6, and 8 mm paramedian bilaterally. Bone height was measured perpendicularly to the bony surface at 10, 12, 14, 16, 18, and 20 mm from the cementoenamel junction of the maxillary central incisor in the sagittal plane.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The greatest bone thickness was found in the lateral anterior palate. Palatal bone thickness of male patients was on average 1.2 mm greater than that of females. Bone height of 9-13-year-olds was less than that of older patients. No difference could be determined between the left and right side.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The lateral anterior palate offers the greatest bone thickness. Because there is considerable variation of bone thickness between individuals, a CBCT evaluation is recommended if maximum screw length is to be used.
authors.affiliation: a  Research Assistant, Department of Orthodontics, Dentofacial Orthopedics and Pedodontics, Center for Dental and Craniofacial Sciences, Charité Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Berlin, Germany.
authors.forename: Maike
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Holm
authors.affiliation: b  Professor, Department of Orthodontics, Dentofacial Orthopedics and Pedodontics, Center for Dental and Craniofacial Sciences, Charité Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Berlin, Germany.
authors.forename: Paul-Georg
authors.initials: PG
authors.lastname: Jost-Brinkmann
authors.affiliation: c  Professor and Director of Advanced Education Program in Orthodontics, School of Dental Medicine, University of Nevada, Las Vegas, Nev.
authors.forename: James
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Mah
authors.affiliation: d  Private Practice, Berlin, Germany.
authors.forename: Axel
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Bumann
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D001863:Bone Screws; D002648:Child; D054893:Cone-Beam Computed Tomography; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007180:Incisor; D008297:Male; D008437:Maxilla; D052280:Orthodontic Anchorage Procedures; D010159:Palate; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: Anchorage; Bone thickness; CBCT; Mini-implant; Miniscrew; Palate