Condylar Morphological Changes in Diabetic Patients: A Digital Panoramic Radiography Study

Ortho pantograph is one of the most common radiographs dental surgeons use to evaluate information about teeth, maxilla, mandible, bony structures, and other pathology findings. The mandibular condyle is the most important structure of the mandible, which changes due to the aging process, developmental abnormalities, and trauma. This study aims to evaluate the presence of morphological variation in the mandibular condyles in diabetic patients using a panoramic radiograph. A total of 100 panoramic radiographs for the evaluation of the mandibular condyle. Radiology archives of the private dental institution. Age ranges from 35 to 80 years of age. A total of 200 diabetic patients were included in the study, comprising 100 males and 100 females. The study included 200 diabetic patients, equally divided between males (n=100) and females (n=100). The mean age for males was 55.3 ± 8.2 years and for females was 54.7 ± 7.9 years, with no significant difference (p = 0.576). The duration of diabetes was 10.5 ± 4.3 years for males and 9.8 ± 4.0 years for females, also showing no significant difference (p = 0.295). The mean HbA1c levels were 7.8 ± 1.2% for males and 7.6 ± 1.3% for females, indicating no significant difference in glycemic control (p = 0.349). It can be concluded that the condylar morphological changes in diabetic patients are statistically significant. Moreover, the oval-shaped condyles were more prevalent. Studies with larger sample sizes can be performed in the future.