Osteoporosis and periodontal disease in menopause

Postmenopausal osteoporosis is not associated with increased periodontitis, according to results of a small study by European researchers. It is, however, significantly associated with tooth loss, suggesting a need for preventive dental care in postmenopausal patients with osteoporosis.

Published in The Journal of Periodontology, the conclusions are drawn from an observational cross-sectional study of 76 postmenopausal women. The participants underwent dental examinations and sampling for microbiological evaluation and a history of osteoporosis or osteopenia was collected. The researchers used polymerase chain reaction to detect oral bacteria associated with periodontal disease. Statistical significance was defined as P<0.05.