Fig. 4

Schematic illustration of the bone thickness measurements over time. a Software view of a measurement 12 months after functional loading. b To produce a standardized measurement, the disto-mesial distance between the neighboring teeth to the graft body was measured on the post-op CBCT image. This distance was used to determine the thickness of the bone on the first (baseline) and final (12 months after loading) CBCT. c All measurements were obtained from a horizontal line drawn from the 3-mm apical point to the tip of the dentulous crest. The distance between the vestibule and the palatinal bone walls was measured in millimeters. This procedure was repeated through the long axis of the graft body for 1-mm slice intervals. d Baseline bone thickness was determined from the exact distances measured on the post-op CBCT image