Purpose: This study investigated and tested a novel cone-beam computed tomography (CBCT) scanning technique capable of obtaining clear contours of soft tissues in the esthetic area.
Methods: Twenty-three periodontally healthy participants underwent this novel CBCT scanning technique. Soft tissue morphological parameters were measured on the CBCT images obtained. Intraoral clinical data were also collected at the same locations, and the accuracy of the CBCT method was tested.
Results: The median (interquartile range [IQR]) of the supracrestal gingival tissue thickness as 0.91 (0.73-1.13) mm, and the thickness of the central incisors was significantly greater than that of the canines (P < 0.05). The median (IQR) of keratinized tissue thickness was 0.73 (0.55-0.91) mm, which also showed a significantly greater thickness in the central incisors than in the canines (P < 0.05). Bland-Altman analysis suggested that CBCT could be accurate for measuring soft tissues in the esthetic area.
Conclusion: The novel CBCT technique described yields clear contours of soft tissues in the esthetic area without the need for auxiliary tools. Moreover, measurements of soft tissue morphological parameters on CBCT appear to be accurate.
Keywords: CBCT; esthetic area; keratinized tissue; periodontal phenotype; periodontal surgery; supracrestal gingival tissue.