The prevalence of pulp stones increased with age and was significantly higher in molar teeth than premolars and incisors. There was no significant association between pulp stones and gender, systemic diseases, impacted third molars, condition of the crown and dental anomalies.

Objectives: The aim of this study was to evaluate maxillary, mandibular and femoral neck bone mineral density using dual energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA) and to determine any correlation between the bone mineral density of the jaws and panoramic radiomorphometric indices. Methods: 49 edentulous patients (18 males and 31 females) aged between 41 and 78 years (mean age 60.2 ¡ 11.04) were examined by panoramic radiography. Bone mineral density (BMD) of the jaws and femoral neck was measured with a DXA; bone mineral density was calculated at the anterior, premolar and molar regions of the maxilla and mandible. Results: The mean maxillary molar BMD (0.45 g cm 22 ) was significantly greater than the maxillary anterior and premolar BMD (0.31 g cm 22 , P , 0.05). Furthermore, the mean mandibular anterior and premolar BMD (1.39 g cm 22 and 1.28 g cm 22 , respectively) was significantly greater than the mean mandibular molar BMD (1.09 g cm 22 , P , 0.01). Although BMD in the maxillary anterior and premolar regions were correlated, BMD in all the mandibular regions were highly correlated. Maxillary and mandibular BMD were not correlated with femoral BMD. In addition, mandibular cortical index (MCI) classification, mental index (MI) or panoramic mandibular index (PMI) values were not significantly correlated with the maxillary and mandibular BMDs (P . 0.05). Conclusions: The BMD in this study was highest in the mandibular anterior region and lowest in the maxillary anterior and premolar regions. The BMD of the jaws was not correlated with either femoral BMD or panoramic radiomorphometric indices.

Objectives To determine the relative efficacy of panoramic radiomorphometric indices in detecting osteoporosis, and optimal thresholds for referral for osteoporosis investigation in edentulous patients. Methods Forty-nine edentulous patients, age 41-78 years, were divided into normal and osteopenic/osteoporotic groups according to femoral bone mineral density. Panoramic radiographs were obtained to determine the mandibular cortical index (C1, normal; C2, mild; and C3, severe erosion of mandibular cortex), mental index (cortical thickness in the mental foramen region), and panoramic mandibular index (ratio of thickness of the mandibular cortex to distance between the inferior margin of the mental foramen and the inferior mandibular cortex). Results were compared using a chi-squared test and Student's t-test. Results Categories C1 and C3 were more frequent in the normal and osteopenic/osteoporotic groups, respectively (p = 0.007). The mean mental index and panoramic mandibular index values were significantly lower in the osteopenic/osteoporotic group than in the normal group (p = 0.002 for mental index, p = 0.019 for panoramic mandibular index). The sensitivity and specificity were 71.4% for the mandibular cortical index. The area under the receiver operating characteristic curve enabled moderately accurate identification of patients with osteoporosis using the mental index and less accurate identification using the panoramic mandibular index. Conclusions The mandibular cortical index and mental index are better than the panoramic mandibular index for identifying patients with osteoporosis. Within the limits of this study, edentulous male or female patients in category C3 with a mental index \3.5 mm should be referred for further osteoporosis investigation.