Periodontal Status In Postmenopausal Women With Osteoporosis

Abstract

Background and objectives: Loss of bone is a common feature of osteoporosis and periodontitis. These diseases may share common etiologic agents which may  modulate or affect the process of both diseases. The aim of this present study is to evaluate association between periodontitis and osteoporosis and to assess the relationship between oral bone loss and osteoporosis in postmenopausal women. Methodology: This study is done in a cross sectional design involving 200 Postmenopausal women. On the basis of  exclusion and inclusion criteria 115 patients were selected. They were scanned using dual energy X-ray absorptiometry (DEXA). Out of  115 patients, 77 got included in the study after being diagnosed as osteoporotic by measuring bone mineral density with DEXA. Clinical examination parameters included Plaque index, Calculus index, Gingival index, Gingival Bleeding Index, Probing Depth and Clinical Attachment Level. Panoramic radiographs are obtained from all the patients. For assessment of  periodontitis, radiographic parameters included are alveolar bone support ratio (ABR). Osteoporotic parameter for assessing oral bone loss included alveolar bone loss of the mandible and morphology of the mandibular cortical index. Results: Clinical attachment level was negatively correlated with the bone mineral density and there was a statistically significant difference between clinical attachment level and bone mineral density with p value 0.000. Alveolar bone support ratio was strongly correlated with bone mineral density and there was a statistically significant difference between alveolar bone support ratio and bone mineral density with p value 0.000. Bone mineral density was positively correlated with the number of teeth present and there was a statistically significant difference between these two parameters. Oral bone loss of the mandible was positively correlated with bone mineral density and there was no statistically significant difference between oral bone loss of the mandible and bone mineral density. Bone mineral density was negatively correlated with mandibular cortex index. Conclusion: The results suggested risk of progression of periodontal disease, with increased tooth loss for postmenopausal women with osteoporosis.