title: Soft tissue cone beam computed  tomography (ST-CBCT)  for the planning of esthetic crown lengthening procedures.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The aim of this study was to measure the clinical crown, anatomical crown, and amount of gingiva covering the enamel of anterior maxillary teeth with soft tissue cone beam computed tomography (ST-CBCT) and thus propose a protocol for the application of this noninvasive method for the planning of esthetic crown lengthening procedures to prevent undesired root exposure.
  
  
  METHODS
  Ten young patients (mean age 22.8 years) requiring esthetic crown lengthening surgeries but not restorative procedures were included in this study. The ST-CBCT images were analyzed with an image editor and analysis software (Pixelmator 3.2), and the clinical crown, anatomical crown, and amount of gingiva covering the enamel were measured.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The mean value of the length of the anatomical crowns of the central incisors, lateral incisors, and canines were 11.06 mm, 9.55 mm, and 9.77 mm, respectively. Thus, the canines were approximately 1.3 mm shorter than the central incisors.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  It was shown that ST-CBCT is a useful tool to assess the actual length of the anatomical crown and the amount of gingival tissue that needs to be surgically removed in an esthetic crown lengthening procedure to prevent undesired root exposure. Thus, ST-CBCT is a helpful noninvasive procedure for the planning of esthetic crown lengthening surgeries, making it possible to better predict their final outcome.
authors.forename: Luisa
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Schertel Cassiano
authors.forename: Mauricio
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Barriviera
authors.forename: Sandra
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Suzuki
authors.forename: Gustavo
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Giacomelli Nascimento
authors.forename: Alessandro
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Lourenço Januario
authors.forename: Leandro Augusto
authors.initials: LA
authors.lastname: Hilgert
authors.forename: Wagner
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Rodrigues Duarte
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D054893:Cone-Beam Computed Tomography / Q000379:methods*; D016556:Crown Lengthening / Q000379:methods*; D004955:Esthetics, Dental; D005260:Female; D005881:Gingiva; D006801:Humans; D055815:Young Adult