title: Alveolar bone height and postcranial bone mineral density: negative effects of cigarette smoking and parity.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Our objective was to test the association between cemento-enamel junction, alveolar-crest distance (CEJ-AC, as measured on digitized vertical bite-wing radiographs) and postcranial bone mineral density (BMD) relative to clinical, dietary, and demographic variables.
  
  
  METHODS
  Data were collected in a cross-sectional study of 134 postmenopausal women. CEJ-AC distances were determined from digitized vertical bite-wing radiographs. Lumbar spine and proximal femur BMDs were determined from dual-energy x-ray absorptiometric scans. Correlation analysis and Student t tests were used to identify those variables most associated with CEJ-AC distance. The selected variables were modeled with a backward stepwise regression analysis, with CEJ-AC distance as the dependent variable.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Parity (number of pregnancies to term), cigarette smoking, and the interaction of lateral spine BMD with cigarette smoking were independent predictors of CEJ-AC distance (P < or =0.05). Statistical models containing these variables accounted for 19% of the variation in CEJ-AC distances.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  CEJ-AC distance in postmenopausal women is the result of a complicated interaction of many effects, including but not limited to, parity, cigarette smoking, and skeletal BMD.
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiology, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO, USA. hildeboltc@mir.wustl.edu
authors.forename: C F
authors.initials: CF
authors.lastname: Hildebolt
authors.forename: T K
authors.initials: TK
authors.lastname: Pilgram
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Yokoyama-Crothers
authors.forename: M W
authors.initials: MW
authors.lastname: Vannier
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Dotson
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Muckerman
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Hauser
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Cohen
authors.forename: E E
authors.initials: EE
authors.lastname: Kardaris
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Hanes
authors.forename: M K
authors.initials: MK
authors.lastname: Shrout
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Civitelli
mesh_terms: D015502:Absorptiometry, Photon; D000367:Age Factors; D016301:Alveolar Bone Loss / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000209:etiology* / Q000503:physiopathology*; D015519:Bone Density / Q000502:physiology; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D004032:Diet; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007044:Hysterectomy; D016018:Least-Squares Analysis; D008159:Lumbar Vertebrae / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000502:physiology; D008875:Middle Aged; D010052:Ovariectomy; D010298:Parity / Q000502:physiology*; D017698:Postmenopause / Q000502:physiology*; D016300:Radiography, Bitewing; D012044:Regression Analysis; D012307:Risk Factors; D012907:Smoking / Q000009:adverse effects*; D019237:Tooth Cervix / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000502:physiology