Age and sex differences in bone density, height, and width: a correlational study

Introduction: Bone density, height, and width are critical factors influencing the success of dental implants, with variations in these parameters often linked to age and sex.Objectives: This study aimed to investigate the correlations between bone density, height, and width with age and sex, to provide insights, which may support evidence-based approaches in implant dentistry.Material and methods: This cross-sectional study involved a cohort of participants aged 30-70 years.Bone density was assessed using cone beam computed tomography transagittal sections, categorized according to the Misch classification (D1-D4).Bone height and width were measured in millimeters.Age was divided into two groups, i.e., 30-49 years and 50-70 years, while sex was categorized as men or women.Spearman's correlation test was employed to evaluate the relationships between these variables, with significance set at p < 0.05. Results:The analysis revealed no significant correlation between bone density and age (r = 0.158, p = 0.113) or sex (r = -0.120,p = 0.228).However, bone height showed a strong negative correlation with sex (r = -0.424,p = 0.000), and bone width displayed a moderate negative correlation with sex (r = -0.296,p = 0.003), indicating that men generally have greater bone height and width compared with women.No significant correlation was observed between bone height or width and age.Conclusions: The findings suggest that sex plays a significant role in determining bone height and width, which are crucial for dental implant planning.