Labial and lingual/palatal bone thickness of maxillary and mandibular anteriors in human cadavers in Koreans

PURPOSE: The aim of this study is to evaluate the buccal and lingual bone thickness in the anterior teeth and the relationship between bone thickness and the tissue biotype. METHODS: Three male and two female human cadaver heads (mean age, 55.4 years) were used in this study. First, the biotype of periodontium was evaluated and categorized into a thick or a thin group. Next, full thickness reflections of the mandible and the maxilla to expose the underlying bone for accurate measurements in the anterior regions were performed. After the removal of the half of the alveolar bone, the probe with a stopper was used to measure the thickness of bone plate at the alveolar crest (AC), 3 mm apical to the alveolar crest (AC-3), 6 mm apical to the alveolar crest (AC-6), and 9 mm apical to the alveolar crest (AC-9). RESULTS: Four of them had a thick biotype. There was no penetration or dehiscence. The thickness of the buccal plates at the alveolar crest were 0.97±0.18 mm, 0.78±0.21 mm, and 0.95±0.35 mm in the maxillary central incisors, lateral incisors, and canines, respectively. The thickness of the labial plates at the alveolar crest were 0.86±0.59 mm, 0.88±0.70 mm, and 1.17±0.70 mm in the mandibular central incisors, lateral incisors and canines, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: The thickness of the labial plate in the maxillary anteriors is very thin that great caution is needed for placing an implant. The present study showed the bone thickness of maxillary and mandibular anteriors at different positions. Therefore, these data can be useful for the understanding of the bone thickness of the anteriors and a successful implant placement.