engleski

Morphometric and Densitometric Analysis of Lower Jaws in a Group of Elderly Home Residents

There has been increasing interest in the interrelationship between oral bone and tooth loss in elderly population. Because the severity of alveolar bone loss increases with age, it has long been hypothesized that it may, in part, be related to local conditions, but in part also to systemic conditions. The aim of the present study was to examine lower teeth status and evaluate surrounding bone by orthopantomographic screening followed by morphometric and densitometric analyses. The sample consisted of 94 elderly home residents whose results were compared to control group of 20 adolescents. Morphometric and densitometric measurements of the lower jaws were performed by specially designed computer software, using copper stepwedge as orthopantomographic measurement calibration tool. The most commonly missing teeth in lower jaws were first molars. Morphometric results of the lower jaw in elderly were on the average 35% lower than the results of the control group. The lowest measured distance was determined to be in first molar area /absolute = 13.45mm ; average = 17.24mm/. Female morphometric values of subject group were 7-10% lower than those of males, with statistically significant difference (p<0.05). The results of densitometric analysis showed highest values for eminentia piriformis, 0.4, and the lowest values for molar area, but was not statistically significantly correlated to absence of teeth. Loss of teeth has significant influence on bone height, but is not correlated to bone density. The influence of tooth loss with bone resorption determines the state of stomatognathic system.

morphometry; densitometry; elderly; lower jaw

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