Effect of Age and Ordinal Number of the Dentures on Alveolar Bone Density around Abutment Teeth with Clasps

Abstract

Svrha ovoga istraživanja bila je utvrditi utjecaj dobi pacijenta i rednoga broja djelomične proteze (DP) na gustoću alveolarne kosti oko zuba nosača kvačica. U istraživanju je sudjelovalo 50 ispitanika obaju spolova nositelja DP-a. Svi ispitivani zubi dva su puta rendgenski snimani standardnim retroalveolarnim snimkama u razdoblju od tri mjeseca. Na rendgenski film nalijepljen je bakreni kalibracijski klin debljine 0,1 0,5 mm. Na svakom rendgenogramu odabrano je 7 područja interesa (eng. Region of interest ROI) oko korijena zuba veličine 4 pixela. Za ocjenu promjene gustoće alveolarne kosti primijenjena je metoda intraoralne mikrodenzitometrije po Knezović-Zlatarić (1) kojom su razine sivila područja interesa pretvorene u ekvivalente debljine bakrenih klinova. Gustoća alveolarne kosti u istraživanim ROI je analizirana. Razlika između dva rendgenograma nije bila statistički znatna (ANOVA: p>0,05) neovisno o dobi pacijenta i rednome broju DP-a. Ipak, u svim ispitivanim ROI registriran je pozitivan trend smanjenja gustoće alveolarne kosti na drugoj snimci bez statističke znatnosti. Može se zaključiti da ni dob ni redni broj proteze ne dovode do znatne smanjenosti gustoće alveolarne kosti oko zuba nosača kvačica, ali s obzirom na pozitivan trend moguće je da bi se u longitudinalnom praćenju promjena gustoće alveolarne kosti pojavila statistički znatna razlika.The aim of this study was to determine the effect of the age of the patient and ordinal number of partial dentures (PD) on alveolar bone density around abutment teeth with clasps. The study consisted of 50 subjects of both sexes, with PD. All examined teeth were radiographed twice by standard retroalveolar technique/recording within a period of three months. A copper calibrated peg, 0.1.0.5 mm thick, was stuck onto the X-ray film. Seven regions of interest (ROI) were chosen on each radiograph around the tooth root, 4 pixels in size. The method of intraoral microdensitometry according to Knezović-Zlatarić (1) was used to evaluate changes in alveolar bone density, by which the level of the grey regions of interest was converted into equivalent thickness of the copper pegs. The density of the alveolar bone in the examined ROI was analysed. Difference between the two radiographs was not statistically significant (ANOVA: p > 0.05) regardless of the age of the patient and ordinal number of the PD. However, in all the examined ROI a positive trend was registered of reduction in alveolar bone density at the second recording, without statistical significance. It can be concluded that neither age nor ordinal number of the dentures led to a significant reduction in alveolar bone density around the abutment teeth with clasps. However, because of the positive trend it is possible that during longitudinal monitoring of changes in alveolar bone density statistically significant difference may occur