Facial alveolar bone thickness and modifying factors of anterior maxillary teeth: a systematic review and meta-analysis of cone-beam computed tomography studies

Table 3 Measurement of CEJ-FBC distance at CI, LI, C, 1PM and 2PM, and analyzed by age and gender subgroups

Tooth type	N (teeth number)	Variables	WM	SE	95%CI	I²	Q_H (p-value)	Egger (p-value)	z (p-value)	Certainty of the evidence (grade )
CI	14 (3024)	Mean distance	2.24	0.12	2.00–2.48	98.70%	< 0.001***	0.080	< 0.001***	⨁⨁⨁◯MODERATE
	5 (1032)	Sex	− 0.32	0.11	− 0.53 0.12	66.60%	< 0.001***	–	0.002**	⨁⨁⨁◯MODERATE
	6 (1798)	Age	0.83	0.28	0.29 1.38	98.60%	< 0.001***	–	0.003**	⨁⨁⨁◯MODERATE
LI	13 (2685)	Mean distance	2.35	0.11	2.13–2.57	98.40%	< 0001***	0.186	–	⨁⨁⨁◯MODERATE
	4 (722)	Sex	− 0.19	0.14	− 0.46 0.09	73.10%	0.011*	–	0.184	⨁⨁◯◯LOW
	6 (1690)	Age	0.82	0.23	0.37 1.27	97.90%	< 0.001***	–	< 0.001***	⨁⨁⨁◯MODERATE
C	10 (2111)	Mean distance	2.53	0.15	2.24–2.81	98.60%	< 0.001***	–	–	⨁⨁⨁◯MODERATE
	3 (545)	Sex	0.01	0.32	− 0.61 0.63	89.40%	< 0.001***	–	0.969	⨁⨁◯◯LOW
	5 (1513)	Age	0.75	0.24	0.27 1.23	96.60%	< 0001***	–	0.002**	⨁⨁⨁◯MODERATE
1PM	3 (907)	Mean distance	2.33	0.08	2.16–2.49	86.70%	< 0.001***	–		⨁⨁⨁◯MODERATE
2PM	3 (952)	Mean distance	2.02	0.11	1.81–2.22	93.60%	< 0.001***	–	–	⨁⨁⨁◯MODERATE

N study number, WM weighted mean, SE standard error, CI confidence interval, I² I-squared, QH Cochran’s Q
^*p < 0.05; **p < 0.01; ***p < 0.001 (Strength of statistical significance)

ISSN: 1472-6831