Alveolar bone level is not associated with vitamin D receptor gene polymorphism and bone density in mandible

Abstract

The objective of this study was to determine, using digital panoramic radiographs, whether the bone level at the alveolar crest is related to the mandibular bone density and/or to vitamin D receptor (VDR) gene polymorphisms. We analyzed 319 digital panoramic radiographs from the same number of patients. Alveolar bone level was expressed as percentage of root length. The mandibular cortical width index was calculated as a measure of mandibular bone density, and, in 72 randomly selected cases, the haplotype of the VDR gene (BsmL) was determined by polymerase chain reaction. Alveolar bone level was not related to the mandibular cortical width index (p = 0.568) or VDR gene expression (p = 0.575). Bone loss was greater in smokers than in non-smokers (p = 0.036), and the mandibular cortical width index was higher in males (p = 0.04), the older age group (p = 0.032), and in those with more teeth (p = 0.01). Multivariate analysis confirmed the association between these variables and alveolar bone loss. Alveolar bone loss showed no significant relationship with the mandibular bone density evaluated on digital panoramic radiographs or with VDR genotype (BsmL) in Caucasian females and males aged under 47 years.

Sex-related Differences in Cortical and Trabecular Bone Quantities at the Mandibular Molar

“…Despite the great variation, the cortical bone showed 2 expectable appearances: the men had a greater thickness than the women, and the women, but not the men, experienced a decrease in thickness with age. The former is consistent with previous reports regarding mandibles 2,3) and other systemic bones [23][24][25][26] ; the latter is also similar to prior findings from mandibles 15) , as well as other systemic bones 24,25,[27][28][29][30] , as females experience a great decline in cortical thickness with increasing age but males only experience a slight decline. Age-related cortical bone loss is different in the two sexes because of a mid-life decline in sex hormones in women, resulting in an increase in the remodeling rate and cortical porosity 13) .…”

“…If 271 J.Hard Tissue Biology Vol. 23 (2):267-274, 2014 the FM loss was caused by mechanical or traumatic factors, in some subjects, maintaining a greater density for a while after tooth loss could be plausible.…”

“…The 2 types demonstrate differences in functional and metabolic modes and sex-and age-related changes in bone quantity 1) . As for the cortical jaw bone, previous studies using panoramic assessment have shown that men have a thicker mandible than women 2,3) , and that dentate subjects have thicker mandibles than edentulous subjects 3) . Thickness decreases with age, greatly in women but only slightly in men 4) .…”