Correlation of Mandibular Radiomorphometric Indices with Serum Calcium and Serum Estradiol in Pre- and Post-menopausal Women

BACKGROUND Osteoporosis is a disease that is seen commonly with increasing age. The purpose of this study was to compare the bone quality of pre- and post-menopausal women using the quantitative indices determined by measurements on panoramic radiographs (mental index, inferior and superior panoramic mandibular indices, antegonion index [AGI], and gonion index) and to determine the effects of serum calcium and serum estradiol levels on alveolar bone loss. MATERIALS AND METHODS Sixty female patients in the age group of 25-55 years were included in the study. The patients were divided into three equal groups, i.e., control Group A (twenty - premenopausal women), study Group B (twenty - postmenopausal women with healthy periodontium), study Group C (twenty - postmenopausal women with periodontitis). Quantitative indices were measured on digital panoramic radiographs of the patients and serum calcium and estradiol levels were determined. RESULTS Correlation of serum calcium with radiomorphometric indices of all the groups showed statistically nonsignificant differences. On correlating mean estradiol levels with radiographic indices of patients of Group A and Group B showed statistically nonsignificant differences. On correlating mean estradiol levels with radiographic indices of patients of Group C patients showed statistically significant difference with positive correlation with cortical width (P = 0.04) and AGI (P = 0.02) while statistically nonsignificant correlation with other indices. The statistical tests used for the analysis of the result were one-way ANOVA, multiple comparison Tukey test, Chi-square test, Student's t-test. CONCLUSION There is a little evidence of correlation of these indices with serum estradiol and calcium levels, and therefore, detailed further research about this correlation is required.