Evaluation of the Association of Sinus Mucosal Thickening with Dental and Periodontal Status Using Cone Beam Computed Tomographic Imaging

Introdouction: Cone Beam Computed Tomography (CBCT) is a relatively new three-dimensional imaging technology, which has been widely used in dental and maxillofacial imaging. Materials and methods: CBCT scans of 506 maxillary sinuses of 253 individuals (39.9% male and 60.1% female) were evaluated retrospectively for assessing the relationship between sinus mucosal thickening (MT) and dental and periodontal status. Thickening > 1 mm was considered pathological and was categorized by degree (2 = 1-3 mm; 3 = 3-6 mm; 4 = 6-10 mm; 5 = more than 10 mm). The statistical analysis was performed to determine the association between MT of the sinus and the dental and periodontal status. Results: MT was observed in 102 patients (40.3%; mean=7.01 (+-) 6.07mm), of which 13.7% were second degree, 25.5% were third degree, 25.5% were fourth degree, and 35.3% were fifth degree. Periodontal disease was seen in 168 patients (66.3%), of whom 110 (65.5%) had mild disease, 44 (26.2%) had moderate disease, and 14 (8.3%) had severe disease. Ninety-seven patients (52.2%) who had MT were 2.84 times more likely to be have periodontal disease, and there was a statistically significant relationship between periodontal disease and sinus MT (P=0.001). Multivariate analysis revealed an odds ratio of 14.39 for MT in the patients with periodontal disease. Bivariate and multivariate statistical analyses; were used for the assessment of dental and periodontal status. Conclusion: A retrospective inspection of CBCT images revealed that the prevalence of maxillary sinus MT was positively associated with periodontal disease, gender, and age. In addition, periodontal disease seems to be the most important parameter influencing mucosal thickness.