Osteoporosis risk factors in female dental patients. A preliminary report

Osteoporosis (OP) is a systemic condition that has dental implications. The purpose of this study was to compare OP risk among various dental specialty subpopulations at Indiana University School of Dentistry (IUSD). A survey was administered to 220 adult female dental patients assessing menstrual status and risk behaviors associated with low bone mass. The subjects' mean age was 48.2 +/- 1.1 years (mean +/- SEM). Overall, 38% of the surveyed patients exhibited high risk for OP. The orthodontic subpopulation (a dentate group with routine developmental malocclusions) was the youngest group and contained the lowest percentage at high-risk (6%). Conversely, the complete denture subpopulation was the oldest and contained the highest percentage of patients at high risk (53%). Postmenopausal women who had inadequate hormone replacement therapy exhibited a strong negative correlation for number of teeth retained with increasing years postmenopause (r = 0.6). Patients in the implant therapy group (many of which had adjunctive orthodontic care) had a mean age similar to the complete denture group, but a much lower risk for OP. This appears to be due to the extensive counseling these patients receive prior to treatment. It is concluded that risk factor analysis and patient counseling may be effective measures for reducing the osteoporosis risk of dental patients.