Dental radiograph evaluation of the alveolar bone in postmenopausal women

Osteoporosis, which affects 30% of postmenopausal women, is one of the most significant problems women face during menopause. X-ray examination may be used to evaluate bone quality. The purpose of this cross-sectional study was to evaluate the association between the alveolar bone height and alveolar bone density in postmenopausal women based on a digital periapical radiograph of the mandibular premolar region. The study participants included 76 postmenopausal women. Digora software was used to obtain the mean grey scale value of the region of interest (ROI). The data were analysed using SPSS 23.0. A Mann-Whitney test was used to compare the mean age and duration of osteoporosis. The correlation was analysed using a Pearson test. The results showed no significant differences (p>.05) in alveolar bone density in the >5 years postmenopausal women group (71.52+10.28) and the <5 years postmenopausal women group (71.81+13.47). However, a significant correlation between age and alveolar bone loss (p<.05), and between age and bone density (p<.05) was found. The results indicate that the duration of menopause was not related to the density of the alveolar bone or the reduction of alveolar bone height.