CBCT evaluation of buccal bone thickness in the aesthetic zone of menopausal women: A cross‐sectional study

OBJECTIVES: Dental implants are a known treatment today. It is necessary to have at least 2 mm of bone around the implant, especially in the buccal aspect of the anterior maxilla (esthetic zone). Some systemic conditions, such as menopause, can affect the body's bone mass as well as the alveolar bone. Considering that few studies have been carried out on the effect of menopause on the thickness and topography of alveolar bone, we decided to investigate the effect of menopause on buccal alveolar bone thickness in the anterior maxillary teeth in menopausal women. MATERIAL AND METHODS: In this descriptive‐analytical cross‐sectional study, two subgroups of menopausal women and nonmenopausal women were considered. Data were extracted from 30 patients referred to a private radiology center in Mashhad for CBCT imaging. In addition, the buccal bone thickness in the crest and middle areas of the anterior maxillary teeth was measured and the difference between the two groups was investigated. The buccal bone thickness of the aesthetic area was evaluated with CBCT Planmeca ProMax 3D Max (Planmeca) by Planmeca Romexis 5.3.4 software, with 200 μm Voxel size and Fov 90 × 60 mm. RESULTS: In this study, 30 women with a mean age of 49.75 ± 3.65 years in the nonmenopausal and menopausal groups were examined. It was found that the mean buccal bone thickness of the anterior maxilla in the nonmenopausal group (0.65 ± 0.25 mm) was higher than in the menopausal group (0.56 ± 0.20 mm), but the difference was not statistically significant (p = .2999). Only in the crestal bone of the right canine, the average bone thickness in nonmenopausal group (0.77 ± 0.33 mm) was significantly higher than the menopausal group (0.49 ± 0.22 mm) (p = .011). CONCLUSIONS: Owing to changes in the volume and thickness of alveolar bone in menopausal women, the thickness of the buccal bone in the aesthetic area decreases, but this is not statistically significant.