Osteoporosis and your teeth

By Dr Reham Ma’ani
dental and oral surgeon

Bone loss and infections

Infections are usually the main cause of bone loss in teeth; the infection can be in the nerve of the teeth, root,or in the gums. Some patients may suffer from gum infections for several months or years without knowing and if regular check-ups are not being done.This could lead to bone loss in the region of the infected tooth or set of teeth.

Ageing, menopause and Vitamin D deficiency

The main causes of osteoporosis are ageing,menopause and Vitamin D deficiency. Because of this, osteoporosis can have a direct negative effect on gumslike periodontal disease, leading to the loss of teeth.Osteoporosis has a huge impact on the jaw bone that supports the teeth, but it does not cause tooth decay.

In addition to the correlation between osteoporosis and oral health, some medications used to treat osteoporosis can impact your teeth negatively.In particular, bone strengthening medications which cancause a rare but serious condition called osteonecrosis, which can severely damage the jaw bone.

Your dentist may recognise the early stages of osteoporosis and be the first health professional to suspect that you have osteoporosis. Osteoporosis can weaken bones by reducing their density and is common in women over 50.

Did You Know?

Women with osteoporosis are three times more likely to experience tooth loss, say health experts, but it’s the loss of bone density and gum disease that are the culprits

Did You Know?

Men do get osteoporosis especially those aged 65years and beyond. Tooth loss affects approximately

1 in 3 men and women over the age of 65

** New York State Osteoporosis Prevention and Education Programme

Over the years, there have been more men havingfractures due to fragile bones

Source: National Institute of Arthritis, Musculoskeletal and Skin Disease

Reprinted with permission from Family Flavours magazine