Osteoporosis, tooth loss and functional dentition in elderly women: a cross-sectional study.

Abstract

Objectives: The objective of this study was to investigate whether osteoporosis is an indicator of missing teeth and lack of functional dentition in elderly women.Methods: A cross-sectional study involving women aged more than 60 years was performed at the Brazilian’s Navy Dental Center (Odontoclinica Central da Marinha), Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Demographic data and general health status information of the group were obtained through individual interviews. In addition, the number of natural teeth was recorded in oral examination. Women presenting at least one tooth were divided in groups presenting or not osteoporosis. The number of natural teeth was compared between groups, with adjustment for smoking and diabetes mellitus. The association between functional dentition and osteoporosis was evaluated using odds ratios (ORs) and their respective 95% confidence intervals. Results: Data on oral examination were available for 256 of the 360 elderly women registered in the database. The groups were composed by 55 women with osteoporosis and 201 not presenting osteoporosis. The prevalence of chronic diseases and smoking, was similar between groups. The mean number of teeth for osteoporotic women was significantly lower than in those without this disease (14,69 ± 7,69 versus 18,19 ± 7,20, p= 0.002), remaining significant after adjustment for potential confounders. Women without osteoporosis exhibited greater chance to present functional dentition than those with osteoporosis (OR = 2.10, 95% CI [1.21 to 3.66], p =0.006). Conclusion: Osteoporosis was an indicator for tooth loss and lack of functional dentition in the studied population of elderly women.