Objective: Bruxism is a repetitive masticatory muscle activity that can lead to structural changes in the mandibular bone. Panoramic radiographs, a frequently employed imaging modality in the field of dentistry, enable the observation of alterations in the cortical and cancellous constituents of the mandibular bone. The purpose of this study was to research the effects of bruxism on mandibular cortical and cancellousbone using panoramic radiographs. Material and Methods: This retrospective study analyzed panoramic radiographs of 54 individuals with bruxism and 54 without bruxism. Fractal analysis was performed to evaluate cancellous bone complexity, while Mandibular Cortical Index (MCI) and mandibular angle bone apposition classifications assessed cortical bone alterations. Statistical comparisons between the bruxism and control groups were conducted using SPSS. Results: The mean fractal dimension (FD) values in the mandibular angle region of bruxism group were significantly lower than those in the control group (p<0.05). Mandibular angle bone apposition was significantly more prevalent in the bruxism group (p<0.05). A significant correlation was observed between FD values and MCI, with bruxism group exhibiting a higher prevalence of MCI-C2 and MCI-C3. Conclusion: Bruxism appears to have a dual effect on the mandibular bone, with catabolic changes in cancellous bone and anabolic changes in cortical bone. These findings highlight the importance of radiological assessments in diagnosing and managing bruxism-related bone changes.
Erdem et al. (Thu,) studied this question.