Dental X-rays Screen Osteoporosis
December 7, 2004
(Ivanhoe Newswire) –Dental X-rays could help screen for spinal osteoporosis. A new study shows panoramic X-rays can identify postmenopausal women with low skeletal bone mineral density.
Researchers from Japan studied more than 300 women who had no symptoms of osteoporosis. About half of the women had a history of hysterectomy, oophorectomy, and/or estrogen use. The other half had no such history. X-rays were used to measure the cortical shape and width of the women’s jaws. Women with eroded cortical shape need further bone mineral density testing, the study authors concluded.
They say, “Because dental panoramic X-rays are taken for the diagnosis of conditions affecting the teeth and jaws in clinical practice worldwide, the dentist could also look at the mandibular cortical shape and width and refer the appropriate women for further BMD testing.”
Researchers found the X-rays were just as sensitive as the widely used questionnaires in determining which women needed to have further BMD testing. However, dental X-rays are less specific than questionnaires, meaning they can indicate disease when there isn’t any or not indicate disease when it does exist. But researchers say questionnaire response rates can be low. Researchers conclude X-rays are a good first step in determining which women need additional testing because so many people will have them done anyway.
SOURCE: American Journal of Roentgenology, 2004;183:1755-1760
