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Objectives: To determine the correlation of skeletal bone mineral density (BMD) with mandibular density and mandibular radiographic indices estimated on digital panoramic radiographs. Methods: Study comprised 112 female subjects older than 45 years. Digital panoramic radiographs were taken, and patients were referred to densitometric measuring (dual energy X-ray absorptiometry) of BMD in the hip bones and lumbar spine regions (L1-L4). On the radiographs, mandibular bone density was estimated and the following indices were measured by the DIGORA ® software (Soredex, Tuusula, Finland): mental index (MI), gonial index (GI), antegonial index (AI), panoramic mandibular index (PMI) and alveolar crest resorption degree (M/M). Mandibular cortical index (MCI) was visually estimated. Results: Mandibular density and visual index MCI are significant predictors of hip and spine BMD. Mandibular density was marked by a significant square trend: it decreased until the age of 54 years and remained constant until the age of 64 years when it started to increase. Significant correlations were found between MI, AI and PMI values and BMD in the hip but not in the lumbar spine region. The GI and M/M values did not show statistically significant correlations with BMD of either region. Conclusions: Mandibular bone density and mandibular radiographic indices are useful in detecting patients with decreased BMD. The applicability of orthopantomograms in diagnosing osteoporosis/osteopenia should be recognized as the potential greatest benefit of this everyday diagnostic method in dental practice.

Although osteoporosis is not the main cause of periodontitis, it may be a factor that leads to enhanced periodontal pocket depth and greater risk of tooth loss in ageing women.

Occupational Injuries among Dentists in Croatia Ozljede na radu među stomatolozima u Hrvatskoj Uvod Stomatološka profesija procijenjena je u svijetu kao visoko rizična i to prema mnogim parametrima (1). Istraživanja pokazuju da su stomatolozi skloni profesionalnim bolestima, bolestima povezanima s radom te da su, nažalost, često u opasnosti od ozljeda tijekom rada (2, 3). Profesionalne bolesti i ozljede na radu imaju višestruku etiologiju, a specifični radni uvjeti jedan su od bitnih čimbenika (4, 5). Uzroci obolijevanja najčešće su dugotrajna izloženost i visoka koncentracija specifičnih štetnih i nepovoljnih tvari, različitih mikroorganizama te opetovani prisilni nefiziološki položaj tijela (5). Sklonost ozljedama na radu povećava i stalno rukovanje velikim brojem oštrih instrumenata i igala, malo radno polje te strujanje zraka i vode što, uz slinu i krv pacijenta, može uzrokovati ozljedu oka stranim tijelima (krhotine zuba, materijala i sl.). Rizične čimbenike u stomatološkoj profesiji možemo podijeliti na biološke, biomehaničke, kemijske, fizikalne i psi-ACTA STOMATOLOGICA CROATICA www.ascro.hr

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