Women treated with oestrogen for post-menopausal osteoporosis have a lower prevalence of severe periodontitis than women not receiving treatment, found a Brazilian study of 492 women.
Oestrogen therapy has already been credited with helping women manage an array of menopause-related issues, including reducing hot flashes, improving heart health and bone density, and maintaining levels of sexual satisfaction. Now a study suggests that the same oestrogen therapy used to treat osteoporosis can actually lead to healthier teeth and gums.
As oestrogen levels fall during menopause, women become more vulnerable to numerous health issues, including loss of bone mineral density which can lead to osteoporosis. Around the same time, changes in oral health also are common as teeth and gums become more susceptible to disease, which can lead to inflammation, pain, bleeding, and eventually loose or missing teeth.
In the study, 492 postmenopausal Brazilian women aged 50 to 87 years, 113 in osteoporosis treatment and 379 not treated, were evaluated to determine whether osteoporosis treatment could help increase the bone mineral density in their jaws and, subsequently, improve overall oral health.
The study found that the rate of occurrence of severe periodontitis was 44% lower in the postmenopausal osteoporosis-treatment group than in the untreated group. Treatment consisted of systemic estrogen alone or oestrogen plus progestin, as well as calcium and vitamin D supplements, for a minimum of six months.
"Osteoporosis can occur throughout the body, including the jaw, and lead to an increased risk of periodontal disease," says Dr JoAnn Pinkerton, North American Menopause Society (NAMS) executive director. "This study demonstrates that oestrogen therapy, which has proven to be effective in preventing bone loss, may also prevent the worsening of tooth and gum disease. All women, but especially those with low oestrogen or on bisphosphonate treatment for osteoporosis, should make good dental care a part of their healthy lifestyles."
Abstract
Objective: To estimate the association between osteoporosis treatment and severe periodontitis in postmenopausal women.
Methods: This cross-sectional study comprised of 492 postmenopausal women, 113 women in osteoporosis treatment, and 379 not treated. Osteoporosis treatment consisted of systemic estrogen alone, or estrogen plus progestin, and calcium and vitamin D supplements, for at least 6 months. Severe periodontitis was defined as at least two interproximal tooth sites with clinical attachment loss of at least 6 mm, and at least one interproximal site with probing depth of at least 5 mm; and dental caries experience was measured using the decayed, missing, and filled teeth (DMFT) index. Analysis included descriptive statistics and Poisson multivariate analysis with robust variance.
Results: Women receiving osteoporosis treatment had less periodontal probing depth, less clinical attachment loss, and less gingival bleeding than women not receiving treatment for osteoporosis (P ≤ 0.05). In the osteoporosis treatment group, the estimated mean DMFT index score was approximately 20, the most frequent component being the number of missing teeth, and in the nontreated group, the DMFT index was approximately 19. The prevalence of severe periodontitis was 44% lower in the osteoporosis treatment group than in the nontreatment group. The prevalence ratio-adjusted was 0.56, 95% confidence interval was 0.31 to 0.99 (P = 0.05), after adjustments for smoking, age, family income, and visit to the dentist.
Conclusions: The results suggest that women treated with estrogen for postmenopausal osteoporosis have a lower prevalence of severe periodontitis than women not receiving treatment.
Authors
Johelle de S Passos-Soares, Maria Isabel P Vianna, Isaac S Gomes-Filho, Simone S Cruz, Maurício L Barreto, Luis F Adan, Cassiano K Rösing, Soraya C Trindade, Eneida MM Cerqueira, Frank A Scannapieco
[link url="https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2017/02/170222082320.htm"]North American Menopause Society material[/link]
[link url="http://insights.ovid.com/crossref?an=00042192-900000000-97822"]Menopause abstract[/link]