[Alveolar bone density under crowns, bridges and natural teeth without artificial crowns]

In an attempt to settle the moot question if alveolar bone density decreases under dental bridges, we determined bone density (bone volume, BV) in 60 interdental spaces of 30 mandibular or maxillary segments by histology and morphometry. Moreover we measured the thickness of the cribriform lamina. Our investigations included segments with healthy teeth and ones with splinted teeth, crowns or three-unit dental bridges. The results actually confirmed a decrease in bone volume under bridges compared to normal teeth in maxillary samples, whereas no differences in bone volume could be found in the mandibular samples. We could not demonstrate any correlations to age or sex up to 48 years.