The dentist often gets a bad rap. They are associated with painful procedures, screeching drills and swollen cheeks, but a new study shows your dentist may be able to provide a window into your future health. Research now suggests that dental x-rays can predict which patients are at a greater risk of bone fractures.
How it works
Researchers at the Sahlgrenska Academy built their study based on information from more than 40 years of medical records, which they first started collecting back in 1968. “The study included 731 women, who have been examined on several occasions since 1968, when they were 38-60 years old. X-ray images of their jaw bone were analyzed in 1968 and 1980 and the results related to the incidence of subsequent fractures,” a press release stated.
One in five at risk for bone fractures
“We’ve seen that sparse bone structure in the lower jaw in mid-life is directly linked to the risk of fractures in other parts of the body, later in life,”says Lauren Lissner, a researcher at the Institute of Medicine at the Sahlgrenska Academy.
The study shows that dental records can be used for a lot more than spotting cavities, the bone structure of the jaw was sparse in around 20% of the women aged 38-54 when the first examination was carried out. These women were at significantly greater risk of fractures. The study also showed as people aged, the connection between the jaw and the possibility of fractures in other parts of the body grew.
What it means for you
“Dental X-rays contain lots of information on bone structure,” says Grethe Jonasson, the researcher at the Research Centre of the Public Dental Service in Västra Götaland who initiated the fractures study. “By analyzing these images, dentists can identify people who are at greater risk of fractures long before the first fracture occurs.”
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