Association between osteoporosis and periodontal disease

PURPOSE: to verify the association of osteoporosis with periodontal disease. METHODS: the study has included 39 postmenopausal women divided in three groups according to bone mass categories, through evaluation of mineral bone density (MBD), measured by X-ray double emission absorbimetry in the lumbar area (L1-L4):): normal bone; osteopenia and osteoporosis. In all the participants the Clinical Insertion Level (CIL) index has been determined at the research onset and after one year, by the same examiner. The periodontal situation data have been submitted to statistical analysis with the paired t-Student test. RESULTS: the periodontal exam has shown that postmenopausal women in the osteopenia presented lower CIL at the initial periodontal clinical exam (2.1 +/- 1.1 mm), while the ones in the normal bone showed less teeth support tissue loss after one year (3.1 +/- 1.6 mm). The statistical analysis has shown that there was no significant difference for the periodontal situation in the normal bone, but there was significant statistical difference for the osteopenia and osteoporosis patients, when CIL values from both evaluation periods were compared. CONCLUSIONS: it is concluded that postmenopausal osteoporosis may be a possible risk factor for periodontal disease.