The objectives of this study were to describe the prevalence of pulp chamber calcifications in a sample of Turkish dental patients and to report associations between presence of pulp chamber calcifications and dental status, gender, age, and cardiovascular diseases (CVDs). Data were collected through radiographic examination of periapical and bitewing radiographs of 15,326 teeth from 536 dental patients, comprising 270 male and 266 female patients aged between 13 and 65 years. Definite radiopaque focuses inside the radiolucent pulp chamber were defined as pulp chamber calcifications. When the pulp chamber was completely radiolucent, that tooth was scored as tooth without pulp chamber calcification. The dental status was scored as intact, carious, restored, or restored + carious. Pulp chamber calcifications were identified in 204 (38%) patients examined. Of the 15,326 teeth, 747 (4.8%) had pulp chamber calcifications. Gender and dental status were found to be correlated with the presence of pulp chamber calcifications. The high prevalence of pulp chamber calcifications in carious, restored, and restored + carious teeth support the view that the occurrence of pulp chamber calcifications can be a response to long-standing irritants. However, to report any associations between occurrence of pulp chamber calcifications and different dental or clinical status, further studies are still needed.

The results of this study demonstrated that osteoporotic patients were more likely to have altered inferior cortex morphology than non-osteoporotic patients and age is an important risk factor for osteoporosis.

The purpose of this study was to determine the incidence of transmigrated maxillary and mandibular canine teeth and also of the other impacted teeth in a Turkish subpopulation. Five thousand consecutive panoramic radiographs taken of patients who attended the Department of Oral Diagnosis and Radiology, Selcuk University, for routine examination between 2005 and 2007 were examined to identify incidences of transmigrated and impacted teeth. Demographic information of all patients was also recorded. Transmigrations were categorized according to the classification of Mupparapu. The effect of age, gender, and sidedness (left or right side) on the recorded abnormality was evaluated using a t-test. The incidence of transmigrated upper and lower canine teeth was found to be 0.34 per cent [17 patients, 12 females/5 males, with a mean age of 34 years (range 16-76 years)] and 0.14 per cent [7 patients, 4 females/3 males, with a mean age of 37.1 years (range 17-62 years)]. The incidence of tooth impaction was 2.94 per cent [147 patients, 101 females/46 males, with a mean age of 29.7 years (range 15-80 years)]. The most frequently impacted tooth was the upper canine followed by the lower canine, lower second premolar, and upper second premolar. No incidence of maxillary first molar impaction was found. Gender and sidedness did not show a statistical significance on the recorded abnormality (P = 0.22 and P = 0.48, respectively). However, in the 15-29 year age group, this was statistically different (P < 0.05). The incidence of transmigration of impacted mandibular canine teeth was greater than other teeth. With the increased use of panoramic radiographs, it is inevitable that diagnosis of such anomalies will increase.

The differences of occlusal forces generated in dentate and edentulous regions during mastication cause some alterations in trabecular bone structure, and fractal dimension and lacunarity can reveal these alterations quantitatively.

ObjectivesThe aim of this study is to determine the prevalence of styloid process elongation (SPE) detected on panoramic radiographs (PRs) in Cappadocia region population in Turkey and to investigate the SPE incidences in relation to the age subgroups.MethodsBetween 2004 to 2007 years, a random sample of 750 PRs was collected from the data files and any questionable PR was excluded. Therefore, 698 PRs were included in the present study. The subjects were divided into six age subgroups: 10–19, 20–29, 30–39, 40–49, 50–59 and 60 years and older. Fifty-four (7.7%) patients demonstrated SPE at least one side.ResultsThere were statistical differences between 10–19, 20–29 age subgroups and 30–39, 50–59 age subgroups in terms of the SPE prevalence, but not other subgroups.ConclusionsAccording to our knowledge, this is the highest prevalence in comparison to the other Turkish reports and the first study in terms of the SPE prevalence in Cappadocia region population. Also, the subgroup analyse suggested that the age may not have a role in the elongation of the SP.

ObjectivesThe aim of this study is to determine retrospectively the presence of carotid artery calcifications (CACs) detected on panoramic radiographs (PRs) in a group of Turkish population. Further, the relationships between CACs and gender, life style, and medical history were evaluated.MethodsDuring the years 2004 to 2006, a random sample of 1282 PRs was collected from patients older than 40 years who were being treated by the School of Dentistry, Erciyes University. Of these 1282 PRs, 750 PRs were included in this study. Medical data was collected from the archival records of the dental school.ResultsAbout 38 (5.06%) CACs were found on the PRs of 12 (4.5%) males and 26 (5.4%) females. The CAC prevalence was not significantly different between the males and females (P=0.583). These calcifications were unilateral in 26 (68.4%) and bilateral in 12 (31.6%) subjects. Of those in the positive group, there were 12 subjects (31.58%) with hyperlipidemia, 12 subjects (31.58%) with hypertension, 7 subjects (18.4%) with diabetes mellitus, 6 subjects (15.8%) with cardiovascular disease, and 6 subjects (15.8%) with smoking history.ConclusionsThis study has the highest CACs prevalence in comparison to the other studies. Therefore, dentists caring for subjects with dental problems should carefully evaluate their PRs for the evidence of CACs, and refer them for medical evaluation as indicated. So, incidental findings could provide life-saving information.

Objectives:To investigate the relationship between different clinical findings and condyle position.Methods:Tenderness on masseter (MM), temporal (TM), lateral pyterigoid (LPM), medial pyterigoid (MPM) and posterior cervical (PSM) muscles, limitation, deviation and deflection in opening of mouth, clicking, crepitating, tenderness on lateral palpation of temporomandibular joint (TMJ) area for each side of 85 patients were evaluated. Each side of patients was categorized into the clinical findings: no sign and/or symptom of temporomandibular dysfunctions (TMDs), only extraarticular findings and only intraarticular findings, extra and intraarticular findings. Condyle positions of 170 TMJs were determined the narrowest anterior (a) and posterior interarticular distance (p) on mid-sagittal MRIs of condyles and expressed as p/a ratio and these ratio were transformed into logarithmic base e. Spearman’s Correlation was used to investigate the relationship between the condyle position and the clinical findings. The difference between the condyle positions of different groups was tested by T test. Reliability statistic was used to determine intra-observer concordance of two measurements of condylar position.Results:A significant relationship was found between the condyle position and tenderness of PSM. There was no significant difference between the groups in aspect of the condyle position. Occlusion and condyle position correlated with significantly.Conclusions:The inclination of the upper cervical spine and craniocervical angulations can cause the signs and symptoms of TMD and condyle position is not main cause of TMDs alone but it may be effective together with other possible etiological factors synergistically.

ObjectivesThe aim was to assess whether Fractal Dimension and Lacunarity analysis can discriminate patients having different mandibular cortical shape.MethodsPanoramic radiographs of 52 patients were evaluated for mandibular cortical index. Weighted Kappa between the observations were varying between 0.718–0.805. These radiographs were scanned and converted to binary images. Fractal Dimension and Lacunarity were calculated from the regions where best represents the cortical morphology.ResultsIt was found that there were statistically significant difference between the Fractal Dimension and Lacunarity of radiographs which were classified as having Cl 1 and Cl 2 (Fractal Dimension P:0.000; Lacunarity P:0.003); and Cl 1 and Cl 3 cortical morphology (Fractal Dimension P:0.008; Lacunarity P:0.001); but there was no statistically significant difference between Fractal Dimension and Lacunarity of radiographs which were classified as having Cl 2 and Cl 3 cortical morphology (Fractal Dimension P:1.000; Lacunarity P:0.758).ConclusionsFD and L can differentiate Cl 1 mandibular cortical shape from both Cl 2 and Cl 3 mandibular cortical shape but cannot differentiate Cl 2 from Cl 3 mandibular cortical shape on panoramic radiographs.