Why use dental x-rays?
The mandible is a site consisting predominantly of trabecular bone. Trabecular bone is clearly visible on dental radiographs thus lending itself to quantitative analysis of bone mineral density. Recent studies have demonstrated a significant correlation between bone mineral density in the mandible or maxilla and that in the axial skeleton such as the spine and hip. The earliest bone loss in osteoporosis patients occurs in areas of trabecular bone. The metabolic turnover of trabecular bone is approximately eight times greater than that of cortical bone. This is the reason why areas of predominantly trabecular bone such as the vertebral body have been preferred sites for measuring bone mineral density.
