title: Oral signs as indicators of possible osteoporosis in elderly women.
abstract: The relationship between oral signs and osteoporosis was investigated to assess the possibility of using this as an indicator of postmenopausal osteoporosis. Sixty-four women between the ages of 50 and 70 years were evaluated. Osteoporotic signs consisted of thoracic spine fracture as demonstrated on lateral chest radiographs. Oral signs were the number of teeth present, mandibular cortical width, alveolar bone resorption, and the morphologic classification of the inferior cortex on panoramic radiographs. The number of teeth present (N) was highly related to the probability of thoracic spine fracture and was used to derive the probability equation for the presence of thoracic spine fracture: probability value = 1/(1 + e-z), Z = 18.68-0.29 age -0.27N. A probability value higher than 0.5 suggests the possibility of thoracic spine fracture. It was concluded that this equation could serve as a simple and useful tool for dentists to assess the possibility of latent osteoporosis.
authors.affiliation: Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Radiology, Hiroshima University, School of Dentistry, Japan.
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Taguchi
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Tanimoto
authors.forename: Y
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Suei
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Otani
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Wada
mesh_terms: D000367:Age Factors; D000368:Aged; D016301:Alveolar Bone Loss / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000209:etiology*; D015519:Bone Density; D016009:Chi-Square Distribution; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D016015:Logistic Models; D008334:Mandible / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000473:pathology; D008875:Middle Aged; D015663:Osteoporosis, Postmenopausal / Q000150:complications / Q000175:diagnosis*; D011336:Probability; D011862:Radiography, Panoramic; D012044:Regression Analysis; D016103:Spinal Fractures / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000209:etiology*; D013904:Thoracic Vertebrae / Q000293:injuries; D016388:Tooth Loss / Q000209:etiology*