Background: Osteoporosis is imposing public health burden especially in postmenopausal women and elderly population. It is leading cause of morbidity and mortality in postmenopausal women. Among multiple modalities of osteoporosis diagnosis, bone mineral density (BMD) is considered as a gold standard by WHO. Aim: Evaluate the alveolar bone changes in osteopenic and osteoporosis condition of postmenopausal women. Materials and Methods: Totally 1315 postmenopausal women were included in this study. All patients were evaluated by dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry for BMD and dental radiograph such as orthopantomography and radiovesiography. Among those women 72 were normal, 276 were osteopenic and 967 were osteoporotic. Mandibular cortical index (MCI), pixel intensity (PI), mandibular alveolar bone mass (MABM), and Alveolar bone resorption pattern (ABRP) were evaluated from the dental radiograph. Calculation of mean and standard deviation, as well as correlation and difference, were performed using SPSS 11.5 for Windows (Windows XP). Results: The changes in the MCI (C2 and C3) were more in osteoporotic condition (87.48%) rather than osteopenic (31.34%) and normal (12.50%). The numbers of presenting teeth were more in normal and osteopenic women rather than osteoporotic women. PI and MABM were significantly different from normal vs. osteopenic and osteoporosis, osteopenic versus osteoporosis. Horizontal ABRP was more in osteoporosis women (91.21%). Conclusion: Changes in postmenopausal alveolar bone were strongly correlated with the BMD of systemic skeletal bone. This combined relationship can be used as an easy diagnosis tool for innovations in osteoporotic condition.

Bangladesh Journal of Dental Research & Education, Vol. 01, No. 01, January 2011, Page 12-14 DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.3329/bjdre.v1i1.15795

Objective: The consequences of aging often involve the risk of osteoporosis, leading to an impaired quality of life of the elderly patients specially postmenopausal women. Osteoporosis accounts 0.83% of non-communicable disease globally having significant health and economic impact. The aim of this study was to evaluate and correlate the changes of mandibular cortical bone with bone mineral density (BMD) in postmenopausal osteoporotic patient. Materials and Methods: 300 postmenopausal osteoporotic patients included in these study. All patients were evaluated by dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry for BMD, and orthopantomograph (OPG). Mandibular cortical index (MCI) was seen from OPG categorized into C1, C2, and C3 as the appearance of the mandibular inferior cortex distal to the mental foramen. The criteria of C1 endosteal margin of the cortex is even sharp on both sides of the mandible, C2 endosteal margin has semilunar defects (resorptive cavities) with cortical residues one to three layers thick on one or both sides, C3 endosteal margin consists of thick cortical residues and is clearly porous. Results: The result of this study was showed that mean femoral neck T-score in C1 group and C2 were 2.26 ± 0.81 versus 2.88 ± 0.73, respectively, (P < 0.05) that was statistically significant, lumbar spine T-score in C1 group and C2 were 2.49 ± 0.96 and 2.62 ± 0.72, respectively, (P > 0.05) was not statistically significant and mean femoral neck T-score in C2 group and C3 were 2.88 ± 0.73 vs 2.49 ± 0.96, respectively, (P > 0.05) that was not statistically significant, lumbar spine T-score in C2 group and C3 were 2.62 ± 0.72 and 3.21 ± 1.18, respectively, (P < 0.05) was statistically significant. MCI-C3 is almost perfect indicator of osteoporosis. Conclusion: Changes of MCI are correlated significantly (P < 0.01) well with osteoporosis variable. Simple, low-cost investigation OPG determining MCI may be helpful as diagnostic tool for osteoporosis.