Evaluation of Mandibular Bone Microstructure Changes After Non-Surgical Periodontal Therapy Using Fractal Analysis

Periodontitis is a chronic inflammatory disease that leads to the destruction of the supporting structures of the teeth, including alveolar bone. Assessing changes in bone microstructure is important for understanding disease progression and treatment outcomes. Conventional clinical parameters may not fully reflect subtle alterations in trabecular bone architecture. Therefore, radiographic analysis methods, such as fractal analysis, have been proposed as objective tools to evaluate bone structure.

This prospective longitudinal study was conducted using clinical and radiographic data from patients treated at the Department of Periodontology, Akdeniz University Faculty of Dentistry. The study included patients diagnosed with Stage II and Stage III periodontitis, as well as individuals with gingivitis serving as a control group. All participants received non-surgical periodontal therapy as part of routine clinical care.

Periapical and panoramic radiographic images obtained at baseline and 6 months after treatment were analyzed. Fractal dimension analysis was performed on predefined regions of interest to assess changes in trabecular bone microstructure. In addition to radiographic evaluation, clinical periodontal parameters, including probing pocket depth, clinical attachment level, bleeding on probing, and plaque index, were recorded.

The primary objective of the study is to evaluate changes in mandibular bone microstructure following non-surgical periodontal therapy. Secondary objectives include assessing the relationship between radiographic findings and clinical periodontal parameters. The findings may contribute to a better understanding of bone response to periodontal treatment and support the use of fractal analysis as a quantitative tool in periodontal research and clinical practice.