Researchers in the School of Dentistry at The University of Manchester have created a unique way of identifying osteoporosis sufferers from ordinary dental radiographs.

Researchers can use dental radiographs to identify osteoporosis sufferers

Professor Keith Horner and Dr Hugh Devlin co-ordinated a three year, EU-funded collaboration with the Universities of Athens, Leuven, Amsterdam and Malmo, to develop the largely automated approach to detecting the disease. Their findings are published online by the journal Bone.

The team has developed a revolutionary, software-based approach to detecting osteoporosis during routine dental X-rays, by automatically measuring the thickness of part of the patient's lower jaw.

X-rays are used widely in the NHS to examine wisdom teeth, gum disease and during general check-ups, and their use is on the rise. To harness these high usage-rates, the team has drawn on 'active shape modeling' technology developed by the University's Division of Imaging Sciences to automatically detect jaw cortex widths of less than 3 mm - a key indicator of osteoporosis - during the X-ray process, and alert the dentist.

Professor Horner explained, “At the start of our study we tested 652 women for osteoporosis using the current 'gold standard', and highly expensive, DXA test. This identified 140 sufferers. Our automated X-ray test immediately flagged-up over half of these. The patients concerned may not otherwise have been tested for osteoporosis, and in a real-life situation would immediately be referred for conclusive DXA testing.”

He added that this cheap, simple and largely-automated approach could be carried out by every dentist taking routine X-rays, and the success rate was as good as having a specialist consultant on hand.

Dr Devlin continued, “As well as being virtually no extra work for the dentist, the diagnosis does not depend on patients being aware that they are at risk of the disease. Just by introducing a simple tool and getting healthcare professionals working together, around two in five sufferers undertaking routine dental X-rays could be identified.”

The team say that the next stage will be for an X-ray equipment company to integrate the software with its products, and once available to dentists it is hoped that entire primary care trusts might opt in.