The effect of tooth loss on mandibular morphology : radiographic study

Abstract EN

Background : throughout one’s life, Mandible undergoes remodeling and morphological alteration occurs in various areas of mandible including the gonial angle, condyle and ramus.

This study aimed to evaluate the effect of tooth loss on morphology of the mandible (i.e.

condylar height, ramus height and gonial angle) using digital panoramic radiography.

Materials and methods : 150 Iraqi male subjects aged from (20-83) years attending to the digital panoramic clinic of Al-Karkh Hospital, divided in to 3 groups according to the presence of teeth in the mandible; the first group consists of 50 subjects with full dentate (complete dentition), second group consists of 50subjects with (partial dentition) and third group consists of 50 subjects with (edentulous mandible).Using digital panoramic image, the condylar and ramus heights and gonial angle were measured on both right and left sides by tracing elements.

The collected data were possessed and analyzed using Storage Package of Statistical Science package program (version 13).

Results: The mean values of Condylar and ramus heights and gonial angle were significant different between complete dentition and edentulous groups (p-value < 0.001) and between partial dentition and edentulous groups (p-value < 0.001).

For the effect of tooth loss of the mean values of 3 measuring variable i.e.

(condylar and ramus heights and gonial angle) among partial dentate group showed; a statistically significant moderate positive linear correlation of condylar and ramus heights with available teeth (not missing)(p-value<0.001), while gonial angle showed a statistically significant moderate negative linear correlation with available teeth(p-value < 0.001) in the same group.

Conclusions: The morphology of the mandible changed as a consequence of tooth loss, which could be expressed as a widening of gonial angle and shortening of both condylar and ramus heights.

(J Bagh Coll Dentistry 2011 ; 23(4) : 96-100).