A study on the radiographic features of jaws and teeth in patients with thalassemia major using orthopantomograph

Aims and Objectives: Thalassemia is the most common gene disorder caused by mutations that decrease the rate of synthesis of α- or β-globin chains. Every year approximately 100,000 children with thalassemia major are born the world over, of which 10,000 are born in India. This study aimed to compare the radiographic findings of jaws and teeth, as well as crown body and root lengths of the mandibular first permanent molar in thalassemia major patients. Materials and Methods: Panoramic radiographs of 50 thalassemia major patients and 50 controls were made. The radiological changes in the jaws and teeth and the dimensional changes in the teeth were evaluated and compared between the two groups. Two observers were involved in evaluating the specific changes and findings were subjected to statistical analysis using chi-square test (χ2 ) test. Differences in crown body height, root length, and crown:root (C:R) ratio were found using independent t-test. Results: A significant difference was found between the two groups in the occurrence of short spiky roots, taurodontism, faint lamina dura, large bone marrow spaces, obliteration of maxillary sinus (haziness), indistinct inferior alveolar canal, thin mandibular cortex (P < 0.001), nutrient canals (P < 0.02), and between mean crown body and root values of the two groups (P < 0.05). However, there was no statistically significant difference in prominent antegonial notch (P = 0.860) and C:R ratio (P = 0.989). Conclusion: Taurodonts, short spiky roots, thin mandibular cortex, enlarged bone marrow spaces, and obliterated maxillary sinuses were found to occur with high frequency in thalassemia major, followed by indistinct inferior alveolar canal and attenuated lamina dura