[Prevention of osteoporosis and pathological calcifications]

Based on physiological data about the influence of magnesium compounds on the degree of saturation of blood plasma with calcium phosphates, we have hypothesized in 1988 that magnesium deficiency is the real cause of osteoporosis and pathological calcifications. The incidence of these diseases is among the elderly as high as 40%. These diseases are the reason that there is such a discrepancy between the morbidity and mortality curve for the elderly as a function of age. Meanwhile it has been proven that a. in all osteoporotic patients the intracellular magnesium content of the erythrocytes is lower than in controls, b. this content can be restored to normal by oral magnesium supplementation without increasing the serum magnesium level, c. by this supplementation the bone density in perimenopausal women increases and d. this supplementation keeps the blood plasma and probably also the other extracellular fluids undersaturated with octocalcium phosphate so that it is impossible for pathological calcifications to occur or to progress. The possible benefits for dentistry are the following: a. perhaps mandibular resorption is retarded or inhibited by oral magnesium supplementation and b. this treatment may also help to inhibit or diminish dental calculus formation in heavy calculus formers. Since both aspects are accessible to experimental clinical investigation, we will soon have the answer to these questions.