A Comprehensive Study on Dentogingival Dimensions in the Maxillary Anterior Region with CBCT Imaging

Cone beam computed tomography (CBCT) is increasingly recognized as a non-invasive diagnostic tool for evaluating the morphological features of dentogingival tissues, especially in the anterior maxilla. In Vietnam, this technology has only recently been implemented, which aims to explore its application in assessing dentogingival morphology using CBCT. The findings from this research are expected to contribute to the growing body of knowledge on the use of CBCT in dental diagnostics and improve clinical outcomes in the country. Our study aims to identify differences in gingival thickness and bone thickness in the maxillary anterior region while also analyzing the correlation between them using CBCT imaging.

The study involved 360 anterior maxillary teeth, which were selected from the data of 60 patients treated at the Faculty of Odonto-Stomatology, Can Tho University of Medicine and Pharmacy Hospital. To assess bone thickness (BT) and gingival thickness (GT), reference lines were drawn: one central to the long axis of the tooth and a second line perpendicular to the tooth apex. Measurements, including labial bone thickness (LBT), palatal bone thickness (PBT), labial gingival thickness (LGT), and palatal gingival thickness (PGT), were taken at three distinct locations parallel to the second reference line at 2 mm, 4 mm, and 6 mm above the cementoenamel junction (CEJ). The study employed a cross-sectional descriptive design. Statistical analyses were conducted using One-way Analysis of Variance (ANOVA) and Pearson’s correlation coefficient to evaluate the relationship between variables.

Most of the correlations between GT and BT in the anterior maxillary teeth are not statistically significant. Statistically significant correlations were observed for the lateral incisor, which mostly shows a negative correlation, specifically between LGT2 and LBT2; between PGT2 and LBT2, PBT2, LBT4, LBT6; and between PGT6 and PBT2. The only positive correlation with statistical significance was between LGT2 and LBT6 (p = 0.268). For the canine, all of the statistically significant correlations were found to be negative (p < 0.05). Notably, the correlation between PGT2 and LBT2 for the lateral incisor, as well as the correlation between PGT2 and PBT2 for the canine, were statistically significant at the 0.01 level.

Within the scope of this study, we can conclude that the GT and BT on the palatal side are greater than on the labial side, and no clear differences were observed between males and females. On the other hand, most of the correlations between GT and BT in the anterior maxillary teeth were not statistically significant.