Influence of osteoporosis on periodontal health in postmenopausal women

Aim or purpose: Aim: to evaluate periodontal health in postmenopausal women, with diagnosed systemic osteoporosis, to determine serum and salivary values of sex hormone levels, the oral hygiene habits, dental and prosthetic status; and periodontal health through gingival and periodontal index values.
Materials and methods: The first group of patients was consisted of 30 postmenopausal women with diagnosed periodontitis and the second group of 30 postmenopausal patients with osteoporosis were examined with densitometry methods (DEXA-dual energy x-ray absorption) with t-score <-2.5 SD; also laboratory, clinical and radiological examination were made to verify periodontal disease in both groups.
Results: During different physiological periods of woman life, there is a wide fluctuation in the production of sex steroid hormones which may result in increased gingival and periodontal tissue inflammation, microbial and pathohistological changes. Estrogen and progesterone deficiency in the post-menopausal period, besides the generalized bone loss manifested as osteopenia and osteoporosis, necessarily leads to changes in alveolar bone. We obtained significant loss of teeth in both jaws in postmenopausal women with osteoporosis, extremely low level of estradiol and progesterone in both media, and the apparent presence of periodontitis which not correlate with the level of local factors and the level of oral hygiene habits.
Conclusions: The obtained results suggest a strong relationship and serious involvement of osteoporosis in periodontal health status, which on the other hand indicate the role that dentists should play in treating these patients.
Key Words: osteoporosis, oral health, periodontitis, alveolar bone loss.