Osteoporosis screening at the dentist?

Researchers from the School of Dentistry at the University of Manchester developed a technique to identify osteoporosis from ordinary dental x-rays. The software-based method has the potential to improve the early diagnoses of osteoporosis on a wide-scale screening level.

Photo: Osteoporosis screening at the dentist?
Osteoporosis affects almost 15% of Western women in their fifties, 22% in their sixties and nearly 40% in their seventies – despite these figures and even the pressure of the EU, there are no wide-scale screening methods viable to improve the identification of patients at risk.
 
The researchers therefore developed the software-based approach to detect osteoporosis during routine dental x-rays, by automatically measuring the thickness of a part of the patient´s lower jaw. The technology detects jaw cortex widths of less than 3mm – a key indicator of osteoporosis.
 
Professor Keith Horner and Dr Hugh Devlin from the University of Manchester co-ordinated this EU-funded collaboration with the Universities of Athens, Leuven, Amsterdam and Malmo. The idea behind it was, that x-rays are used widely in the NHS during general check-ups, and their use is on the rise. In 2005 almost 6000 x-rays were taken on female patients aged 65 or over in a single month! This is a great opportunity to automatically test even those people who are not aware that they are at risk of the disease.
 
The cheap, simple and largely-automated approach could be carried out by every dentist taking routine x-rays, yet the success rate is as good as having a specialist consultant on hand.
 
According to Dr. Devlin, the next stage will be for an x-ray equipment company to integrate the software with its products, and once it is available to dentists they hope that entire primary care trusts might opt in.
Further information: http://www.dentistry.manchester.ac.uk/aboutus/news/osteodental

 

01.10.2007

More on the subject:

Related articles

Photo

Sponsored • Prevention, early detection, timely treatment

Fujifilm “One-Stop” solution partner for the Healthcare systems

Fujifilm aims to become an entity that can contribute to the advancement of human health by supporting the ongoing transformation in the healthcare industry – as a “One-Stop” solution partner.

Photo

News • CT, MRI, X-ray, AI, PACS, endoscopy, ultrasound

Fujifilm Healthcare acquires Hitachi Diagnostic Imaging, presents new portfolio

At a virtual European event, Fujifilm Healthcare Europe presented a complete and integrated portfolio of diagnostic products and services, including CT, MRI, X-ray, AI, PACS, endoscopy and ultrasound…

Photo

News • RSNA

Samsung showcases mobile digital radiography system

Samsung Electronics showcases the GM85 Digital Radiography (DR) system which received 510(k) FDA clearance November 17 for the US market, at the Radiological Society of North America (RSNA) 2016…

Related products

Subscribe to Newsletter