OBJECTIVETo investigate the vertical bone height and the bone density of the palate for implants placement using cone beam CT(CBCT) and to provide references to the safe and stable placement of palatal implants.

METHODSThree-dimensional reformatting images were reconstructed with the selected CBCT scanning data of 34 patients aged 18 to 35 yeras, by means of EZ implant software. The vertical bone height was measured at 20 interesting sites of palate. Bone density was measured at 10 sites that could support 3.0 mm long implants. The data of the vertical bone height and bone density were analyzed by K-means cluster analysis.

RESULTSAccording to the cluster analysis results, the 10 sites were classified into 3 clusters. There were statistical differences among these three clusters in bone height and bone density (P < 0.05). The LSD result showed that the greatest mean value of vertical bone height was obtained in cluster 2, followed by cluster 1 and cluster 3; the highest bone density was founded in cluster 3, followed by cluster 1 and cluster 2.

CONCLUSIONSEvaluation of the sites for palatal implant placement with cone beam CT would be helpful in safe and stable implantation.