Quantitative assessment of interradicular bone density in the maxilla and mandible: implications in clinical orthodontics

Tina Chugh,Ameet V Revankar,Abhay K Jain,Sanjay V Ganeshkar

doi:10.1186/2196-1042-14-38

Abstract

BackgroundBone density at the interradicular area plays an important role during orthodontic treatment. In view of this fact, the study was designed to quantitatively evaluate the bone density at the interradicular areas of the alveolar and basal bones of maxilla and mandible by computed tomography.MethodsOne hundred and nine computed tomographic images were randomly selected, and bone density was measured in Hounsfield units (HU) with bone mineral density software (Siemens VA20A_SP3A). The sample consisted of 78 males (mean age 29.5 years, range 20 to 40 years) and 31 females (mean age 27.6 years, range 20 to 40 years). Cortical and cancellous bone density was measured at the interradicular areas at the alveolar and basal bone levels of the maxilla and mandible, and the data was subjected to statistical analysis for comparisons.ResultsThe highest cortical bone density was observed between the second premolar and first molar at the alveolar bone level and between the first and second molars at the basal bone level in the maxilla. Maxillary tuberosity showed the least bone density. The density of the cortical bone was greater in the mandible than in the maxilla and showed a progressive increase from the incisor to the retromolar area. The basal bone showed a higher density thanthe alveolar bone.ConclusionDifferent qualities of the bone were found in the anatomic regions studied, which confirms the importance of knowledge of site-specific bone tissue density to correlate with various clinical findings.

Highlights

Bone density at the interradicular area plays an important role during orthodontic treatment
The sample in the present study showed almost a similar bone density value pattern in the maxilla and mandible as observed by Park et al [14] in a Korean population, except that they found the highest bone density in the canine premolar region of the maxilla
The following conclusions were drawn from this study: 1. At the maxillary alveolar bone level, the highest bone density was evident in between the second premolar and first molar for both the buccal and palatal cortical bones, and between the first and second molars for the buccal cortex of the basal bone

Summary

Introduction

Bone density at the interradicular area plays an important role during orthodontic treatment. Knowledge of bone density in various areas of the maxilla and mandible may help the clinician to understand and correlate various observed clinical phenomenons. Many studies have been done to evaluate the bone density in various regions of the maxilla and mandible prior to dental implant placement, but they have been mostly in relation to cancellous bone in edentulous areas [5,6,7]. Minimal research has been done to evaluate the bone density of the cortical bone in relation to the interradicular areas in the maxilla and mandible, which are the common sites for orthodontic mini-implant placement

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Results

Discussion

Conclusion