First Molars–Incisors Rate and Pattern of Bone Loss: A Cross-Sectional Analysis of CBCT Images

Abstract

Background: Periodontitis causes attachment and alveolar bone loss; hence, this study aimed to determine the prevalence, frequency, and pattern of bone loss at first molar–incisor areas using Cone Beam Computed Tomography (CBCT) images. Methods: A retrospective, cross-sectional analysis was conducted of 250 randomly selected CBCT images of clearly defined full arches of patients aged from 18 to 70 years who were divided into six age groups and into male and female groups. Four sites around each tooth were scanned at several accesses for bone loss detection. Distance beyond 2 mm apical to the cementoenamel junction to the level of the remaining bone was considered to indicate bone loss. The Shapiro–Wilk test was used to test the normality of the data, and statistical tests were applied for data analysis at the 0.05 p-value level. Results: The rate and amount of bone loss within the examined sample were relatively high. The examined images generally revealed a higher rate of bone loss on proximal than on labial/buccal and lingual/palatal surfaces of the first upper and lower molars. The highest amount of bone loss among all the teeth scanned in this study was seen on the mesial and distal bone of mandibular incisors, 4.36 mm and 4.31 mm, respectively, exceeding that in the labial and lingual bone, 3.23 mm and 1.89 mm, respectively, and it was highly horizontal rather than vertical in pattern. Conclusions: Based on 250 randomly selected CBCT images of clearly defined, full upper and lower arches scanned for this study, it was concluded that the rate and amount of horizontal bone loss were less than vertical bone loss and was focused mainly in the interproximal areas of the first molars. However, the highest recorded amount of bone loss was at the proximal and labial aspects of the mandibular incisors. Furthermore, younger age groups displayed significantly higher rates and amounts of bone loss than older groups, with a slight predilection for males.