LONGITUDINAL RADIOGRAPHIC ASSESSMENT OF DENSE BONE ISLANDS OF THE JAWS

Objectives. This study assessed dense bone island (DBI) inception and growth in jaws. Study design. A population of 2991 patients (age range 5 to 35 years) was studied with at least two panoramic radiographs ta ken 1 to 10 years apart for each patient. Lesions were digitized and m easured with computer measuring software. The size of the earliest DBI was compared with subsequent DBI measurements after the latter measur ement was normalized with reference to the size of the nearest tooth. Results. Sixty-nine patients with DBIs were identified A total of 3.1% of the patients with DBI were found in the 5- to 10-year age range, w ith the first patient in the DBI group found at 9.4 years. A significa ntly higher proportion (p = 0.002) of the unaffected patients (26%) wa s found in the same 5- to 10-year age range. The proportions of patien ts in the DBI and unaffected groups in older age ranges were similar. Assessment of DBI size changes showed that 43% of the 53 DBIs detected between 9.4 and 19 years enlarged (mean change, 212%), and 17% dimini shed (mean change, 49%). In comparison, 29.4% of 17 DBIs detected betw een 20 and 35 years enlarged (mean change, 153%), and 5.9% diminished (mean change, 60%). Conclusion. Our results indicate that DBIs are lab ile lesions, develop during early adolescence; and retain a potential for enlargement, or to a lesser extent shrinkage, into adulthood.