Evaluation of maxillary and mandibular bone structure in different frenulum connection types

This thesis is a retrospective study aiming to evaluate the bone quality and density at the buccal frenulum junctions. In this study, 725 frenulums of 146 patients were classified according to their connection extension (mucosal, gingival, papillary) and location (canine, canine canine, premolar, premolar premolar). Mental index measurement was performed on panoramic radiography to evaluate the bone structure at the frenulum connection points in the mandible. The bone structure at the buccal frenulum junctions in the maxilla and mandible was evaluated subjectively using the Misch bone density classification on Cone Beam Computed Tomography. Trabecular bone structure in these regions was evaluated using the fractal analysis method. Among the location connection types of the frenulum in the mandible, the mandibular fractal value in the premolar premolar (PP) connection was found to be significantly lower than the canine (K) and canine canine (KK) connections. In female patients, it is observed that D2 bone density in the maxilla was significantly lower at the gingival junction (G), and D3 bone density was significantly higher at the gingival junction (G). In this thesis study, it was observed that the effects of buccal frenulums on the trabecular and cortical bone structure in the maxilla and mandible may differ depending on the location and type of connection extension.