Relationship between bone mineral density, its associated physiological factors, and tooth loss in postmenopausal Korean women

Abstract

BackgroundPrevious studies have proposed a relationship between bone mineral density (BMD) and oral health. However, the relationship between BMD and tooth loss in female individuals is not yet well understood. Therefore, the aim of this study was to assess the association between BMD, including its related physiological factors, and tooth loss among postmenopausal women in Korea.MethodsA total of 3,992 postmenopausal women aged 50 years or above were selected from the Fourth and Fifth Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Surveys, which were cross-sectional in design and conducted from 2008 to 2011. The participants’ BMD and number of teeth were assessed by radiologists and dentists. Socioeconomic characteristics and female-related physiological factors, including menarche age, duration of menopause, number of pregnancies, age at first child’s birth, and duration of oral contraceptive or female hormone use, were surveyed.ResultsParticipants who had lower BMD had significantly fewer teeth (p < 0.001). Female-related physiological factors, including the duration of menopause, number of pregnancies, age at first child’s birth, duration of oral contraceptive or female hormone use, and calcium intake level, showed a significant relationship with the number of teeth. Using multiple regression analysis, BMD, duration of menopause, age at first child’s birth, and duration of female hormone use significantly influenced the number of teeth.ConclusionsBMD and its related physiological factors in female individuals showed a significant relationship with the number of teeth in postmenopausal Korean women, implicating osteoporosis as a risk factor for tooth loss in postmenopausal women.

The relationship between periodontal disease, tooth loss and decreased skeletal bone mineral density in ageing women

“…Great number of recent studies suggests association between low systemic BMD and tooth loss, but still, there is no enough evidence to prove causal relationship. 19,20 In our study, the number of lost teeth was significantly correlated with age and BMD of the hip region but not with the spine region.…”

“…Often they are unrecognized until advanced stage when complications happen, such as bone fractures and tooth loss. Great number of recent studies suggests association between low systemic BMD and tooth loss, but still, there is no enough evidence to prove causal relationship …”

Factors Associated with Tooth Loss in Postmenopausal Women: A Community-Based Cross-Sectional Study

“…First, PMW had a reduced number of teeth, with a high prevalence of NRT < 20 and edentulism. In previous studies, the average NRT for women aged 20 to 64 was 24, only 18.4% had NRT < 20 [17], and the average NRT for PMW was 22–23 [10,14]. The present study indicated that the oral health of these participants was significantly worse.…”

“…Studies have indicated that osteoporosis, considered to be a problem of bone destruction and associated with rapid fluctuations in estrogen, exaggerates the loss of alveolar bone, which is involved in the retention of teeth [10,11,12]. In fact, there are many important factors associated with tooth loss and osteoporosis, such as advanced age, poor education [13,14,15], chronic diseases [15,16], tobacco and alcohol use [13,16,17], oral hygiene, and unhealthy diet [16,17,18]. However, there is still controversy in the literature on the relationship between BMD and tooth loss in PMW [9,16].…”

Could treating periodontitis prevent osteoporosis? An update of the last decade

“…This is to say that lower BMD results in more severe periodontal disease (higher CAL and alveolar bone loss) 47 . A 3-year cross-sectional Korean study revealed a strong association between BMD and the number of remaining teeth in postmenopausal women, supporting the relationship between osteoporosis and tooth loss, which is the ultimate result of untreated severe periodontitis 48 . Similarly, Jank KM et al, using data from Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (KNHANES), demonstrated that normal BMD people had significantly larger number of remaining teeth than those who were diagnosed with osteoporosis or osteopenia, irrespective of their gender 49 .…”