New Study Enables Prediction of Fractures Using Dental X-Rays

Researchers from the University of Gothenburg at the Sahlgrenska Academy have conducted a new study, which has demonstrated that there is a possibility to utilize dental X-rays in order to examine the structure of the bone in the lower jaw.

Hence it is possible to determine persons who stand a higher risk of having fractures in the future. It was previously shown that a sparse structure of bone in the lower jaw’s trabecular bone is connected with a higher probability of having fractures previously in other body parts.

The Prospective Population Study of Women in Gothenburg provided the information for this study, which commenced in the year 1968. This study has been on-going for more than 40 years. 731 women whose  ages were 38-60 years during the course of the study wherein they were tested several times. The jaw bone X-ray images were studied in the years 1968 and 1980 and the results obtained was associated with fractures that occurred after that.

During the complete observation period, 222 fractures were found. These identified fractures were recorded in the medical registers only since the 1980s while for the initial 12 years the patients themselves reported the fractures during follow-up tests. This study has revealed that the jaw’s bone structure was sparse for approximately 20% of the women of ages 38 to 54 , during the initial examination conducted. These women were considerably at higher risk of fractures.

The study also showed that with an increase in age, the link between sparse jaw bone structure and fractures in other body parts is stronger.The researchers have considered that this link can also be applicable for men, though the study was conducted on women. A researcher from the Public Dental Service’s Research Centre in Västra Götaland, Grethe Jonasson, has stated that  dental X-rays reveal a large amount of  data on the structure of bones. Dentists can identify persons having a higher risk of fractures much before the occurrence of the first fracture, by examining these images.