Increased Risk of Tooth Loss in Postmenopausal Women With Prevalent Vertebral Fractures: An Observational Study

Area of Science:

• Bone health and dentistry
• Gerontology
• Epidemiology

Background:

• The relationship between prevalent fractures and tooth loss in postmenopausal women is not well understood.
• Understanding this association is crucial for managing bone health and oral health in aging populations.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the association between prevalent vertebral and nonvertebral fractures and tooth loss in postmenopausal Japanese women.
• To examine the number of teeth at baseline and tooth loss during follow-up in relation to fracture status.

Main Methods:

• A cross-sectional study of 843 postmenopausal women (mean age 68.3 years) with follow-up tooth count for 655.
• Participants were categorized into four groups based on prevalent fracture status: no fractures, vertebral fractures only, nonvertebral fractures only, and both fracture types.
• Poisson regression analyses were used to compare tooth counts and tooth loss across groups, adjusting for covariates.

Main Results:

• Women with prevalent vertebral fractures alone had significantly fewer teeth at baseline compared to those without fractures or with nonvertebral fractures alone.
• Participants with vertebral fractures alone lost more teeth during follow-up than those without fractures.
• No significant difference in tooth loss was observed between women with nonvertebral fractures alone and those without fractures.

Conclusions:

• Prevalent vertebral fractures in postmenopausal women are associated with a higher risk of tooth loss.
• These findings highlight a potential link between bone fragility and oral health decline in this demographic.