Korean J Orthod.  2007 Jun;37(3):220-230.

Differences in mandibular anterior alveolar bone thickness according to age in a normal skeletal group

• Choe HY
• Park W
• Jeon JK
• Kim YH
• Shon BW

Abstract

OBJECTIVE
The purpose of this study was to determine the changes of mandibular anterior alveolar bone thickness with age.
METHODS
Cephalometric radiographs of 160 skeletal class I patients (male 80, female 80) with normal vertical growth pattern was investigated by measuring the buccolingual thickness of mandibular alveolar bone on the basis of root axis.
RESULTS
As the age increases, both male and female showed a significant decrease in buccolingual width of the mandibular anterior alveolar bone and in the width of mandibular anterior lingual alveolar bone except the CEJ area of females. However, there was no significant difference in the thickness of mandibular anterior buccal alveolar bone and in the width of maximum prominence of mandibular symphysis with age.
CONCLUSION
From the above results, it is concluded that Korean children whose growth pattern is sagittally skeletal class I with a vertical normal growth pattern have a greater mandibular anterior lingual alveolar bone width than Korean adults; therefore, lingual movement of mandibular incisors, which is usually accompanied in extraction treatment, is considered to be more preferable in younger patients.

Keyword

Mandibular anterior alveolar bone thickness; Buccolingual width; Normal skeletal group

MeSH Terms

Adult
Axis, Cervical Vertebra
Child
Female
Humans
Incisor
Male
Tooth Cervix