Dental Radiographs effective in Detecting Pulp Stones, suggests study
Researchers have found in a new study that radiographs are effective in detecting pulp stones. However, further research is needed to evaluate their potential as a screening tool for early detection of systemic diseases.
Dental pulp stones are distinct calcified bodies that can be found in teeth that are healthy, diseased, or even unerupted. Pulp stones are suggested to be a manifestation of various systemic and genetic diseases affecting different organs of the body.
Therefore, this study aimed to correlate the prevalence of pulp stones with gender, nationality, age, dental status, and systemic diseases. The medical records and radiographs of patients who visited the screening clinics and the Department of Oral Diagnosis at the College of Dentistry, Imam Abdulrahman Bin Faisal University, Dammam, Saudi Arabia, between January 2017 and June 2018 were analyzed in this study. Two examiners evaluated the digital orthopantomographs (OPGs) to identify the prevalence of pulp stones concerning the patient's age, gender, nationality, arch position, and medical condition. RESULTS: A total of 153 patient records were examined, and pulp stones were detected in 43.1% of the patients. Among the nationalities, Saudi patients were the most affected at 57.6%, while 42.4% were non-Saudi.
The maximum occurrence of pulp stones was observed in age group 4 (9.2%), while the minimum occurrence was in age group 8 (0.7%). The maximum occurrence of pulp stones (21.2%) was observed in age group 4 (36-45 years), while the minimum occurrence was 7.6% in age group 2 (16-25 years). Out of all examined patients, 46 (30.1%) patients were medically compromised. Among these medically compromised patients, radiographic examination showed that 56.5% (n=26) had pulp stones. This study supports the idea that dental radiographs are useful in detecting pulp stones. Further research is required to explore the potential of using dental radiographs as a screening tool for the early detection of systemic diseases.
Reference:
Fairozekhan, Arishiya T., et al. "Prevalence of Pulp Stones in Patients Visiting the Dental Hospital of Imam Abdulrahman Bin Faisal University: a Correlative Retrospective Study." Cureus, vol. 17, no. 1, 2025, pp. E77765.
