Assessment of Panoramic Radiomorphometric Indices of the Mandible in a Brazilian Population

The aim of this study was to evaluate radiomorphometric indices in dental panoramic radiographs in order to identify possible interrelationships between these indices and the sex and age of the patients analyzed. The study included 1287 digital panoramic radiographic images of patients that were grouped into five age groups (1 = age 17-20; 2 = age 21-35; 3 = age 36-55; 4 = age 56-69; 5 = over age 70). Two indices-cortical width at the gonion (GI) and below the mental foramen (MI)-were measured bilaterally in all panoramic radiographs. Statistical analysis was performed with Kruskal-Wallis and Mann-Whitney tests (alpha = 0.05). Results for the indices measurements showed significant differences among patient age groups of both sexes, considering that groups 4 and 5 presented lower values for the cortical width of both indices. The present paper supports the role of sex- and age-related changes in mandibular radiomorphometric indices in identifying skeletal osteopenia.