Journal of International Dental and Medical Research ISSN 1309-100X The Average Mandibular Cortical http://www.ektodermaldisplazi.com/journal.htm Nissia Ananda et al. Volume ∙ 10 ∙ Special Issue ∙ 2017 Page 652 The Average Mandibular Cortical Bone Width of Patients at Risk of Osteoporosis Nissia Ananda 1 , Bramma Kiswanjaya 2 , Lilies Dwi Sulistyani 3 , Hanna Bachtiar Iskandar 2 * 1. Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery Residency Program, Faculty of Dentistry, Universitas Indonesia. 2. Department of Dentomaxillofacial Radiology, Faculty of Dentistry, Universitas Indonesia 3. Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, Faculty of Dentistry, Universitas Indonesia. Abstract Despite the increasing elderly population worldwide, including in Indonesia, various conditions such as osteoporosis prevent the elderly from experiencing an enhanced quality of life. The risk of osteoporosis increases with age and can be detected by taking panoramic radiographs to measure the width of the mandibular cortical bone. This study aims to obtain the average width of the mandibular cortical bone in individuals at risk of osteoporosis. Regions of interest were chosen in the mental foramen regions. The average width of the mandibular cortical bone in individuals at risk of osteoporosis aged 40-80years was 4.80618 mm. The mandibular cortical bone in women aged 40–59 years tends to be wider than in those aged 60 –80 years. The average width of the mandibular cortical bone in the 40–80year age group in Indonesia could be classified as normal. Clinical article (J Int Dent Med Res 2017; 10(Special Issue): pp. 652-656) Keywords: mandibular cortical bone width, osteoporosis, elderly, Indonesia Received date: 16 August 2017 Accept date: 18 September 2017 Introduction According to the 2010 Indonesia Population Census, the elderly population in Indonesia amounted to 18.04 million, which is approximately 7.6% of the total population (237.6 million). 1 The elderly population is estimated to reach 25% by 2050, meaning that Indonesia will experience an elderly population boom. However, the increasing elderly population and life expectancy is not accompanied by their enhanced quality of life. 2 Despite their longevity, the elderly have limited capabilities because they suffer from various conditions and diseases. As one of the clinical conditions affecting the elderly, osteoporosis is known as a silent killer because it is often only detected after reaching a severe stage, for example, when a hip bone breaks. 3,4 However, because osteoporosis occurs evenly across all of the bones in the body, including the bone in the oral area, 4,5 the width of the mandibular cortical bone and alveolar bone level can be examined to determine the quality and quantity of bone tissue. The quality of the bone is determined by the bone density and trabecula pattern, while the quantity of bone is judged by the thickness and height of the bone. Both quality and quantity of the bone can be examined through radiograph imaging. 5 As a dentist, it is important to realize the roles of the quality and quantities of bone are significant in determining the case prognosis. In Indonesia, osteoporosis is often not considered in treatment planning; whereas, the role bone quality and bone quantity are important in determining the success of oral care, especially in elderly patients. Panoramic and dental radiography is frequently used as a diagnostic procedure during routine dental checkups or before various dental procedures, which could be of significant clinical value if the dentist can use it to identify patients at high risk of osteoporosis. 6,7 Several studies have been conducted to support the use of panoramic and dental radiograph to detect osteoporosis. For example, Priminiarti et al., evaluated bone density as parameters of mandibular bone quality in panoramic and dental radiographs, and Sulistyani et al. showed that changes in the mandibular alveolar bone density in periapical radiographs correlated with the mandibular cortex index in panoramic *Corresponding author: Hanna Bachtiar Iskandar Department of Dentomaxillofacial Radiology Faculty of Dentistry Universitas Indonesia E-mail: hannabachtiar@yahoo.com