The effects of unilateral chewing habit on the mandibular bone: an evaluation with bone height measurement and fractal analysis method

This study aims to evaluate the macro and micro changes in mandibular bone symmetry due to the habit of unilateral chewing. A total of 30 female and 30 male patients, aged 18 and above, with a habit of unilateral chewing, and with a mean age of 30.20, were identified at the Oral and Maxillofacial Radiology Clinic. The chewing side (active) on panoramic films was designated as the study area, while the non-chewing side (passive) was designated as the control area. Vertical height measurements on Orthopantomography (OPG) were used to assess macrostructural changes in the mandibular bone, while Fractal Analysis (FA) was performed by selecting 6 Regions of Interest (ROI) in each patient to determine its microstructural effects. The active and passive sides of the patients were compared. Sociodemographic characteristics of patients with unilateral chewing habit were calculated in numbers and percentages. A significant difference was observed in the vertical heights between the active and passive sides of individuals with a unilateral chewing habit (p<0.05). The vertical heights on the active side were found to be higher compared to the passive side. There was no significant difference in the symmetrical ROI values between the active and passive sides of the same individuals (p>0.05). Unilateral chewing habit has significant effects on the mandibular bone structure. The increase in vertical heights clearly demonstrates the effects of this habit on the mandibular structure, while the similarity in ROI values indicates that the trabecular structure is less affected by this habit according to FA measurements.