title: Relationship between bone mineral density, its associated physiological factors, and tooth loss in postmenopausal Korean women.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Previous studies have proposed a relationship between bone mineral density (BMD) and oral health. However, the relationship between BMD and tooth loss in female individuals is not yet well understood. Therefore, the aim of this study was to assess the association between BMD, including its related physiological factors, and tooth loss among postmenopausal women in Korea.
  
  
  METHODS
  A total of 3,992 postmenopausal women aged 50 years or above were selected from the Fourth and Fifth Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Surveys, which were cross-sectional in design and conducted from 2008 to 2011. The participants' BMD and number of teeth were assessed by radiologists and dentists. Socioeconomic characteristics and female-related physiological factors, including menarche age, duration of menopause, number of pregnancies, age at first child's birth, and duration of oral contraceptive or female hormone use, were surveyed.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Participants who had lower BMD had significantly fewer teeth (p < 0.001). Female-related physiological factors, including the duration of menopause, number of pregnancies, age at first child's birth, duration of oral contraceptive or female hormone use, and calcium intake level, showed a significant relationship with the number of teeth. Using multiple regression analysis, BMD, duration of menopause, age at first child's birth, and duration of female hormone use significantly influenced the number of teeth.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  BMD and its related physiological factors in female individuals showed a significant relationship with the number of teeth in postmenopausal Korean women, implicating osteoporosis as a risk factor for tooth loss in postmenopausal women.
authors: Department of Dental Hygiene, Ulsan College, Ulsan, South Korea. molar5103@hanmail.net.
authors: Chang-Suk
authors: CS
authors: Kim
authors: Department of Dental Hygiene, College of Science & Technology, Kyungpook National University, Sangju, South of Korea. ekkim99@knu.ac.kr.
authors: Eun-Kyong
authors: EK
authors: Kim
authors: Department of Preventive Medicine & Public Health, College of Medicine, Yeungnam University, Daegu, South Korea. drkslee@ynu.ac.kr.
authors: Kyeong-Soo
authors: KS
authors: Lee
authors: Department of Dentistry, Yeungnam University, Daegu, South Korea. lhk@med.yu.ac.kr.
authors: Hee-Kyung
authors: HK
authors: Lee
authors: Department of Preventive Dentistry, School of Dentistry, Kyungpook National University, Daegu, South Korea. cyh1001@knu.ac.kr.
authors: Youn-Hee
authors: YH
authors: Choi
authors: Department of Preventive Medicine & Public Health, College of Medicine, Yeungnam University, Daegu, South Korea. luke@ynu.ac.kr.
authors: Tae-Yoon
authors: TY
authors: Hwang
authors: Department of Internal Medicine, Yeungnam University, Daegu, South Korea. mjs@yu.ac.kr.
authors: Jun Sung
authors: JS
authors: Moon
mesh_terms: D015519:Bone Density / Q000502:physiology*; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D006304:Health Status; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged; D015663:Osteoporosis, Postmenopausal / Q000150:complications* / Q000175:diagnosis; D017698:Postmenopause / Q000502:physiology*; D056910:Republic of Korea; D012307:Risk Factors; D016388:Tooth Loss / Q000209:etiology*; D016387:Women's Health