Vol. 3, Issue 12, Part H (2017)

Methods: Twenty four mandibles of 24 Kashmiri routine orthodontic patients were examined. The samples were imaged and measured using a CBCT system. Buccal inter-radicular cortical bone thickness, alveolar process width, and root proximity were measured in five inter-radicular sites from distal of lateral incisor to mesial of second molar. Buccal inter-radicular cortical bone thickness and alveolar process width were measured at 4 different vertical levels. Root proximity was measured at four different vertical levels.

Results: The mesiodistal distances increase from cervical to apical area. Root proximity inter- radicular sites was greatest in mesial and distal to the first molar. The greatest buccolingual alveolar process width was between first and second molar at 8 mm height (12.85 ± 1.51 mm) and the least was between lateral incisor and canine at 8 mm height (6.43 ± 1.67 mm). Buccolingual thickness increases from anterior to posterior regions. Buccal cortical bone thickness increases from crest to apex and from anterior to posterior regions. The highest buccal cortical bone thickness was between first and second molar at 11 mm height (2.73 ± 0.58 mm) and the least was between lateral incisor and canine at 5 mm height (0.77 ± 0.27 mm).

Conclusions: Buccal inter-radicular cortical bone thickness and alveolar process width tended to increase from crest to base of alveolar process. The buccal inter-radicular cortical bone thickness between first molar and second molar was the greatest, and between lateral incisor and canine was the least. The root proximity between first molar and second molar was the widest and between lateral incisor and canine it was the narrowest.