title: The comparison of mandibular radiomorphometric indices in panoramic radiography between patients with chronic periodontitis and healthy individuals.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Osteoporosis and periodontitis are two separate diseases with different origins and manifestations. It is believed that these diseases linked together, because they both lead to bone damage, some risk factors are similar, they both have the highest prevalence in middle-aged and older women. Some studies showed that the use of panoramic radiography and special indices could be reliable tools for osteoporosis screening. This study was performed to evaluate the relationship between periodontal disease and jaw osteoporotic indices.
  
  
  METHODS
  Eighty-two patients with chronic periodontitis and 80 healthy individuals were selected, they had been referred to a private oral and maxillofacial radiology clinic to take a panoramic radiograph. Then panoramic indicators; including the mandibular cortical index (MCI), mental index (MI), and panoramic mandible index (PMI) in both groups were measured, recorded and analyzed.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The mean age of investigated individuals was 39/8 ± 9/33. 58.6% of participants were females and 41.4% were males. MI and PMI levels in the periodontal group were more than the periodontally healthy group, but the differences between the two groups was not statistically significant (p = 0.808 and p = 0.102 respectively). The MCI level was significantly different between two groups (p = 0.028).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The results of this study showed that there is significant relationship between MCI in panoramic radiography and chronic periodontitis. It is suggested to perform more studies to confrm if this index could be used for screening and indicating of bone status in high risk individuals. This study did not show a strong evidence of a relationship between osteoporosis and periodontitis.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Since panoramic radiographs are routinely used for screening in dental practice, any association between radiomorphometric indices of mandible in periodontitis patients might be useful in prediction of osteoporosis in patients referring to dental clinics.
authors.affiliation: Professor of Periodontology, Oral and Maxillofacial Diseases Research Center, School of Dentistry Mashhad University of Medical Sciences, Khorasan Razavi, Mashhad, Iran.
authors.forename: Amir
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Moeintaghavi
authors.affiliation: Associate Professor of Oral and Maxillofacial Radiology, Dental Research Center, School of Dentistry, Mashhad University of Medical Sciences, Khorasan Razavi, Mashhad, Iran.
authors.forename: Hossein
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Hosseinizarch
authors.affiliation: Dentist, Private Practice, Mashhad, Iran, e-mail: sara_mohamadzadet@yahoo.com.
authors.forename: Sara Mohammadzadeh
authors.initials: SM
authors.lastname: Tabassi
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D015519:Bone Density / Q000502:physiology; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D002508:Cephalometry / Q000379:methods; D002680:Chin / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D055113:Chronic Periodontitis / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008334:Mandible / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D008403:Mass Screening; D008875:Middle Aged; D010024:Osteoporosis / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D011862:Radiography, Panoramic / Q000379:methods*; D055815:Young Adult