Osteoporosis and periodontal disease: is there a relationship?

Osteoporosis, by definition, is a generalized progressive reduction in both bone mineral and bone matrix which results in bone of normal composition but decreased mass. Functionally, osteoporotic bone is characterized by greater fragility and an increased propensity to fracture. It ranks as the most common metabolic bone disease and the most common skeletal disorder in the world. As such, it constitutes a major public health problem. Due to the extent of the disease, many have questioned its relevance to the maxilla and mandible and its possible relationship to periodontitis. The purpose of this paper is to review both osteoporosis and periodontitis and to present the research completed to date which has investigated the possible interrelationships between the two diseases.