Relationship between mandibular symphysis dimensions and mandibular anterior alveolar bone thickness as assessed with cone-beam computed tomography

ABSTRACT Objective: To determine the relationship between symphysis dimensions and alveolar bone thickness (ABT) of the mandibular anterior teeth. Methods: Cone-beam computed tomography images of 51 patients were collected and measured. The buccal and lingual ABT of the mandibular anterior teeth was measured at 3 and 6 mm apical to the cemento-enamel junction (CEJ) and at the root apices. The symphysis height and width were measured. The symphysis ratio was the ratio of symphysis height to symphysis width. Kendall's tau correlation coefficient was used to determine the relationships between the variables at a 0.05 significance level. Results: The mandibular anterior teeth lingual and apical ABT positively correlated with symphysis width (p<0.05). Moreover, these thicknesses negatively correlated with the symphysis ratio (p<0.05). Symphysis widths and ratios showed higher correlation coefficients with total and buccal apical ABT, compared with lingual ABT. Buccal ABT at 3 and 6 mm apical to the CEJ was not significantly correlated with most symphysis dimensions. The mean thickness of the buccal alveolar bone at the upper root half was only 0.2-0.6 mm, which was very thin, when compared with other regions. Conclusion: For mandibular anterior teeth, the apical alveolar bone and lingual alveolar bone tended to be thicker in patients with a wide and short symphysis, compared to those with a narrow and long symphysis. Buccal alveolar bone was, in general, very thin and did not show a significant relationship with most symphysis dimensions.

RESUMO Objetivo: o objetivo desse artigo foi avaliar a correlação entre as dimensões da sínfise e a espessura do osso alveolar (EOA) na região anterior da mandíbula. Métodos: imagens de tomografia computadorizada de feixe cônico (TCFC) de 51 pacientes foram selecionadas e medidas. As EOAs vestibular e lingual dos dentes anteroinferiores foram medidas a 3 mm e a 6 mm para apical da junção cemento-esmalte (JCE) e nos ápices radiculares. A altura e a largura da sínfise foram medidas, e calculou-se a proporção entre ambas, chamada de proporção da sínfise. O coeficiente de correlação tau de Kendall foi utilizado para determinar a correlação entre as variáveis, com nível de significância de 0,05. Resultados: as EOAs vestibular e lingual dos dentes anteroinferiores apresentaram correlação positiva com a largura da sínfise (p< 0,05). Porém, essas EOAs apresentaram correlação negativa com a proporção da sínfise (p <0,05). A largura e a proporção da sínfise apresentaram maiores coeficientes de correlação com a EOA total e vestibular apical e, em comparação com a EOA lingual. A EOA vestibular a 3 mm e a 6 mm para apical da JCE não apresentou correlação significativa com a maioria das dimensões da sínfise. A espessura média do osso alveolar vestibular na metade superior da raiz foi de apenas 0,2 a 0,6 mm - muito delgada quando comparada com outras regiões. Conclusão: nos dentes anteroinferiores, o osso alveolar apical e o osso alveolar lingual tendem a ser mais espessos nos pacientes com sínfise mais larga e curta, em comparação àqueles com sínfise mais estreita e longa. O osso alveolar vestibular foi, em geral, muito fino e não apresentou relação significativa com a maioria das dimensões da sínfise.

Dimensions for midline and paramidline andibulotomy: a radiographic study in the dentate Thai population.

BACKGROUND: Mandibulotomy is an important surgical approach of the oral cavity, oropharynx, and parapharyngeal space. OBJECTIVE: To provide dimensions for placement of bone cuts for midline (between two central incisors) and paramidline (between lateral incisor and canine) mandibulotomy. MATERIAL AND METHOD: Two hundred and sixteen periapical radiographs with the mandibular anterior teeth of 72 healthy Thai dental patients (30 males, 42 females) were selected. The angles between the long axes of the two central incisors (M) and between the lateral incisor and canine (PM) were bilaterally measured using computerized imaging. The horizontal distances (at crestal, middle, and apical levels) between the roots and the alveolar bone heights of the aforementioned teeth were also measured. RESULTS: The angles between the PM (0.00-9.26 degrees) were less convergent than those between the M (0.00-11.66 degrees) (p < 0.05). The distances between the PM were 0.60-8.03 mm, whereas those between the M were 0.47-6.63 mm (p < 0.05). Mean alveolar bone height is 15.88 +/- 1.72 mm in the canine. CONCLUSION: The paramidline mandibulotomy is done in a wider space than the midline cut and could have a better chance to avoid the extraction of a central incisor and preserve the origin of the genioglossus, geniohyoid, and digastric muscles.