title: Radiomorphometric indices and their relation to gender, age, and dental status.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To evaluate the antegonial index (AI) and the mental index (MI) in edentulous and dentate patients, in different age groups and between genders.
  
  
  METHODS
  We evaluated 312 panoramic radiographs and grouped them into 4 10-year age groups. Gender, dentition status and age were recorded. The measurements were performed by 2 researchers independently.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The AI and MI were significantly smaller in older females, whereas they were greater for older males (P < 0.01). Edentulous individuals had a lower AI than dentate and partially dentate individuals (P < 0.01).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  There is a continuous remodelling in the mandibular cortex with age and this is influenced by dental status and gender. The difficulty of measuring the AI in a reproducible manner, its interaction with dental status and low correlation with MI in younger patients should discourage its use in detecting patients at risk of osteoporosis.
authors.affiliation: Division of Oral and Maxillofacial Radiology, Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Pathology, Medicine, and Surgery, Temple University School of Dentistry, USA. cdiodontologia@terra.com.br
authors.forename: Vinicius
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Dutra
authors.forename: Jie
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Yang
authors.forename: Hugh
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Devlin
authors.forename: Cristiano
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Susin
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D000368:Aged; D015519:Bone Density; D016723:Bone Remodeling; D002508:Cephalometry / Q000592:standards*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007575:Jaw, Edentulous / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D008297:Male; D008334:Mandible / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D008875:Middle Aged; D010024:Osteoporosis / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D011862:Radiography, Panoramic / Q000592:standards*; D012016:Reference Values; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D012727:Sex Characteristics