title: Low Bone Mineral Density Is Associated with Tooth Loss in Postmenopausal Women: A Nationwide Representative Study in Korea.
abstract: Osteoporosis and tooth loss are major health problems in postmenopausal women in a fast-aging country. In this study, we investigated the relationship between low bone mineral density (BMD) and edentulism.
  
  
  
  Data for this cross-sectional study were obtained from the fifth Korean National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey 2011-2012. BMD was measured, and a dental examination was performed on the 2,129 postmenopausal (50-80 years) female participants. Multivariate logistic regression through complex sampling was used to estimate the odds ratio (OR) for osteopenia and osteoporosis in women with loss of at least eight teeth.
  
  
  
  The average number of missing teeth was significantly lower in women with a normal BMD than in those with osteopenia and osteoporosis (4.5 ± 0.4 vs. 6.7 ± 0.3 vs. 10.4 ± 0.5; p < 0.001). Women with abnormal BMD of the femoral neck were at higher risk of losing eight or more teeth than women with a normal BMD in the femoral neck (OR, 2.37; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.88-2.99). Women with osteoporosis in the lumbar spine were also at a higher risk of losing eight or more teeth [OR, 1.89; 95% CI, 1.52-2.36] than were women with a normal BMD in the lumbar spine.
  
  
  
  Excessive edentulism might be associated with low BMD in postmenopausal women. Regular dental examination is recommended for the postmenopausal women with osteopenia or osteoporosis to prevent tooth loss.
authors.affiliation: 1 Department of Family Medicine, Pusan National University School of Medicine , Yangsan, Republic of Korea.
authors.forename: Soyeon
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Ji
authors.affiliation: 1 Department of Family Medicine, Pusan National University School of Medicine , Yangsan, Republic of Korea.
authors.forename: Young Jin
authors.initials: YJ
authors.lastname: Tak
authors.affiliation: 2 Department of Preventative and Social Dentistry, Seoul National University School of Dentistry , Seoul, Republic of Korea.
authors.forename: Dong Hun
authors.initials: DH
authors.lastname: Han
authors.affiliation: 1 Department of Family Medicine, Pusan National University School of Medicine , Yangsan, Republic of Korea.
authors.forename: Yun Jin
authors.initials: YJ
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.affiliation: 3 Department of Family Medicine and Research Institute for Convergence of Biomedical Science and Technology, Pusan National University Yangsan Hospital , Yangsan, Republic of Korea.|4 Department of Medical Education, Pusan National University School of Medicine , Yangsan, Republic of Korea.
authors.forename: Sang Yeoup
authors.initials: SY
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.affiliation: 5 Department of Family Medicine, Pusan National University Yangsan Hospital , Yangsan, Republic of Korea.
authors.forename: Jeong Gyu
authors.initials: JG
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.affiliation: 5 Department of Family Medicine, Pusan National University Yangsan Hospital , Yangsan, Republic of Korea.
authors.forename: Dong Wook
authors.initials: DW
authors.lastname: Jeong
authors.affiliation: 1 Department of Family Medicine, Pusan National University School of Medicine , Yangsan, Republic of Korea.
authors.forename: Min Ji
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: Kim
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000375:Aging / Q000473:pathology*; D015519:Bone Density; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D003729:Dental Care; D005260:Female; D005272:Femur Neck / Q000502:physiology; D006801:Humans; D016014:Linear Models; D008159:Lumbar Vertebrae / Q000502:physiology; D008875:Middle Aged; D009066:Mouth, Edentulous / Q000453:epidemiology; D009749:Nutrition Surveys; D015663:Osteoporosis, Postmenopausal / Q000453:epidemiology*; D017698:Postmenopause; D056910:Republic of Korea / Q000453:epidemiology; D016388:Tooth Loss / Q000453:epidemiology*; D016387:Women's Health
keywords: bone loss; dental care; edentulism; postmenopause; women's health