Correlation between periodontal phenotype and sinus membrane thickness: A systematic review

Abstract

Aim: To assess the correlation between the periodontal phenotype (PP) and sinus membrane thickness (SMT) in humans.

Methods: This review was conducted according to the PRISMA guidelines. Two reviewers independently carried out electronic and manual literature searches of studies published in English, German, and Spanish, from 1970 to September 2022 in four electronic databases, PubMed/Medline, Scopus, Cochrane Library, and Web of Science, in addition to gray literature. Studies that assessed the correlation between PP and SMT in adults (aged 18 years) were included. Methodological quality was evaluated using the Appraisal Tool for Cross-Sectional Studies (AXIS) for articles that met the eligibility criteria.

Results: Six studies, including 510 patients, were considered for qualitative analysis. All included studies were cross-sectional, and the correlation between the PP and SMT was evaluated, finding a positive and high correlation in 83.3% of them, based on a value of ≥0.7. All the included studies were assessed with a high overall risk of bias.

Conclusions: Periodontal phenotype and sinus membrane thickness are likely correlated. Nevertheless, further standardized studies are required to draw definitive conclusions.

Keywords: gingival phenotype; gingival thickness; nasal mucosa; periodontal phenotype; sinus membrane; systematic review.