Mandibular inferior cortex erosion as a sign of elevated total serum calcium in elderly people: a 9-year follow-up study

Abstract

The mandibular inferior cortex (MIC) classification that was determined by observing the mandible distally from the mental foramen in panoramic radiography can be considered to reflect bone loss in the jaws. The purpose of this 9-year study was to investigate whether there is a relationship between MIC condition and total serum calcium (TSC) in elderly Japanese people. A total of 280 subjects aged 70 years at baseline (137 males and 143 females) took part in this longitudinal study design. TSC and dental panoramic radiographs were carried out at the baseline in 1998 and the final year in 2007. The results of the MIC measurement were divided into two groups according to changes in MIC after the 9-year study period, namely no change group and change group. A significant relationship was found in females but not in males between the MIC condition and the TSC. The regression showed that female subjects are 3.26 times more likely to have increased erosion of the inferior border of the mandible than male subjects after the 9-year study period. These results suggest that an increase in erosion of the inferior border of the mandible was significantly associated with an elevated TSC after 9 years and only in females.