Radiographic alveolar bone loss in untreated Taiwan Chinese subjects with adult periodontitis measured by the digital scanning radiographic image analysis method

Objectives: To determine differences in radiographic alveolar bone loss (RABL) by age group, gender and tooth type in subjects with adult periodontitis using the digital scanning radiographic image analysis (DSRIA) method. Methods: A total of 4262 teeth were examined for RABL in 178 individuals (96 males and 82 females). Mesial and distal sites were determined by the DSRIA method following scanning of periapical radiographs and using the Microstation 95 image software. Results: Linear assessment of RABL using DSRIA revealed the following results. Mean bone loss of maxillary and mandibular anterior teeth was significantly higher (P < 0.001 and P < 0.01, respectively) in males compared with females using a two-sample t-test. The highest values of mean RABL occurred most commonly in the maxillary first molars (53.8% and 51.4% for females and males, respectively) and the mandibular central incisors (50.4% and 41.5% for males and females, respectively). Mean RABL was greater in males than in females for both the mandibular and maxillary arches, with the exception of molar sites. Conclusions: Maxillary first molars and mandibular incisors are the highest risk sites. Moreover, greater loss occurs at the molar site in females compared with males for untreated periodontitis in Taiwan Chinese people.