Relationship between different skeletal facial types and anterior alveolar bone thickness with cone-beam computed tomography in an Asian population

BACKGROUND: To investigate the relationship between different skeletal facial types and anterior alveolar bone thickness with cone-beam computed tomography (CBCT) in an Asian population. METHODS: A total of 130 patients with 1,560 healthy anterior teeth were enrolled. On three-dimensional reconstructed images, Frankfurt-mandibular plane angle (FMA) value and angle formed by subspinale, nasion, and supramental (ANB) value were measured, and subjects were categorized into different groups based on their vertical skeletal patterns as well as sagittal jaw relationships. For each tooth, the thickness of alveolar bone was measured at three locations: 1, 3, and 5 mm apical to alveolar bone crest. Descriptive statistics were used. Kruskal-Wallis test, one-way ANOVA, and independent-samples t-test were used for further analysis. RESULTS: Men’s maxillary anterior teeth’s lingual alveolar bone thickness was significantly greater than women’s (P<0.05). Strong correlations were found between vertical skeletal patterns and lingual alveolar bone thickness of maxillary/mandibular anterior teeth (R(2)=0.302, P<0.01 in the maxilla; R(2)=0.311, P<0.01 in the mandible). However, no significant difference was shown in the alveolar bone thickness among people with different sagittal bone profiles. CONCLUSIONS: The lingual alveolar bone of the maxillary anterior teeth is thicker in males than in females. With the increase of FMA, the anterior alveolar bone gradually became thinner.