Palatal Bone Wall Thickness in Anterior Maxillary Sites: CBCT Assessments in Dentate Patients.

Purpose: To assess the thickness of the palatal bone wall of maxillary anterior teeth in relation to age, sex, and tooth type.

Materials and methods: A total of 100 CBCT images of patients ≥ 18 years of age were used. The thickness of the palatal bone at the maxillary canines and incisors was assessed perpendicular to the long axis of the teeth at three locations: 4 mm apical to the cementoenamel junction (CEJ; MP1), halfway between the CEJ and the root apex (MP2), and at the root apex (MP3).

Results: At the MP1 site, 96% of the maxillary anterior teeth had a palatal bone thickness of < 1 mm, with a mean thickness of 0.5 mm. At the MP2 and MP3 sites, 86% and 100% of the teeth had ≥ 1 mm bone thickness, and the means were 2 and 5 mm, respectively. There were no significant differences among the age or gender groups. Maxillary canines showed significantly greater bone thickness than maxillary incisors, particularly at MP2 and MP3 sites.

Conclusion: Most of the examined teeth had thin palatal bone at the MP1 measurement site, and maxillary canines showed significantly thicker palatal bone than maxillary incisors. This finding should be considered when treatment planning for immediate implants in the maxillary anterior segment.