Evaluation of the morphological changes in the mandible for dentate and totally edentate elderly population using cone-beam computed tomography.

PURPOSE: The loss of teeth considerably modifies the mandibular shape. The aim of this study was to compare the morphological changes in the mandible for dentate and totally edentate elderly subjects using cone-beam computed tomography. METHODS: In total, 50 cone-beam computed tomography patients (25 dentate, 25 edentate) without any maxilla-mandibular dysmorphosis were analyzed retrospectively. Panoramic representations of the mandible with superimposed axial slices and cross-sectional slices were developed with the cone-beam computed tomography scans. Values of the mandibular cortical index, bone quality index, gonial angle, antegonial angle, antegonial depth and condyle angle in the left and right side were measured. RESULTS: There was a significant difference in the mandibular cortical index between the total edentate group and the dentate group in the left side of the mandible (p < 0.001). There was a significant difference in the bone quality index between the total edentate group and the dentate group in the right side and the left side (p < 0.001). There was a significant difference in the bone quality index between the right side and the left side (p < 0.005). When comparing gender, there was only a difference in the right side (p < 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: Our study concluded that the mandibular basal bone morphology changes as a consequence of tooth loss. Cone-beam computed tomography is shown to be a good tool in investigating and achieving these results.