title: Risk of osteoporosis in elderly individuals attending a dental clinic.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Osteoporosis has become a critical public health problem with the rapidly aging population in Japan. It is necessary for dentists to know their patients' status because it influences dental treatment. The purpose of this study was to predict the risk of osteoporosis in elderly patients visiting a dental clinic by assessing mandibular cortical morphology on panoramic radiographs.
  
  
  METHODS
  Three-hundred and thirty patients were divided into three classes based on the morphology of their mandibular cortex on panoramic radiographs. Mandibular cortical bone width at the mental foramen was also measured. Bone mineral density (BMD) was determined at the calcaneus using a quantitative ultrasound device.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The mandibular cortical width decreased significantly from Class 1 (normal cortex), to Class 2 (moderately eroded cortex) and to Class 3 (severely eroded cortex). BMD was negatively correlated with age in both female and male patients. Most (108/186) female patients had a class 3 cortex with a low BMD. Among women, mandibular cortical width was significantly correlated with BMD. Thirty-three percent of the female had received a previous diagnosis of osteoporosis. In contrast, only 13.9% (20/144) of the male had a Class 3 cortex. In men, mandibular cortical width did not significantly correlate with BMD. Only a few of the men had received a previous diagnosis of osteoporosis. The number of remaining teeth did not correlate with low BMD in either sex.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Our findings reveal that most elderly female patients visiting the dental clinic had a high risk of osteoporosis and a low BMD.
authors: Private practice, Sanda, Hyogo, Japan.|Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, Nara Medical University, Kashihara, Nara, Japan.|Department of Geriatric Dentistry, Osaka Dental University, Osaka, Japan.
authors: Hideto
authors: H
authors: Ohtsuki
authors: Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, Nara Medical University, Kashihara, Nara, Japan.
authors: Masayoshi
authors: M
authors: Kawakami
authors: Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, Nara Medical University, Kashihara, Nara, Japan.
authors: Tetsuji
authors: T
authors: Kawakami
authors: Department of Geriatric Dentistry, Osaka Dental University, Osaka, Japan.
authors: Kazuya
authors: K
authors: Takahashi
authors: Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, Nara Medical University, Kashihara, Nara, Japan.
authors: Tadaaki
authors: T
authors: Kirita
authors: Department of Geriatric Dentistry, Osaka Dental University, Osaka, Japan.
authors: Yutaka
authors: Y
authors: Komasa
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D015519:Bone Density; D003740:Dental Clinics / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007564:Japan / Q000453:epidemiology; D008297:Male; D008334:Mandible / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D010024:Osteoporosis / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology*; D011862:Radiography, Panoramic; D012307:Risk Factors; D014463:Ultrasonography
keywords: Bone mineral density; dental clinic; osteoporosis; panoramic radiography