Relationships between mandibular and skeletal bone in a population of normal women.

In this study, we measured mandibular bone mass and density and cortical thickness at gonion in 50 normal women between the ages of 20 and 90. The subjects showed neither radiographic nor metabolic evidence of osteoporosis. Comparisons (by age) were made between mandibular measurements. Mandibular measurements were also compared with measurements of bone mass in the spine and the wrist. Mandibular bone mass was not significantly affected with age but mandibular bone mass was significantly correlated with skeletal bone mass. Cortical thickness at gonion decreased with age.