Can your Dental Exam Reveal Osteoporosis?

Osteoporosis is a disease characteristic of bones during which our body is not able form enough new bone cells and bone loss ratio is higher compared to bone formation. The two important minerals required for bone formation are calcium and phosphates. When we are young these minerals are used for bone formation and as we get older, the absorption of these minerals from our diet gets lesser which causes deficiency of such minerals in our body. If there is insufficient calcium in our diet, then the deposits of calcium from the bones are absorbed to balance it which leads to weakening of bones which is termed as Osteoporosis or porous bones. It causes the bones to become brittle and increases the risk of fractures.

Most of the times, the people are not aware of the presence of the disease and before they know about it, they suffer from severe fracture. When we do dental examination there is a possibility to detect Osteoporosis. During dental x-ray scans we can find the symptoms of Osteoporosis as bone health and oral health are related directly. By examination of jaw bones, teeth and gums the possible symptoms of Osteoporosis can be detected by the dentist. But it gives us only a slight picture and to get clear-cut information about the disease and for complete diagnosis we have to take bone density scans and consult a bone specialist.

It has also been found by recent research that there is direct link between periodontal disease (related to gums in teeth) and osteoporosis. The density of the jaw bones is similar to the rest of the bones in our body. If there is bone loss in jaw, then there is a possibility of bone loss in all parts of the body. So, through dental x-ray scans we can find the signs of bone loss in jaws which is also linked to bone loss throughout the body and can be a suspect of Osteoporosis.

There has been ongoing research on the relation between tooth loss, bone loss and gum attachment. Special Software has been invented by the research students at the School of dentistry, University of Manchester which can detect the presence of Osteoporosis during the dental x-ray scan by measuring the thickness of the lower jaw bone of the patient. So, rather than going for traditional Dual Energy X-ray Absorptiometry scans to diagnose Osteoporosis it can be detected early through routine dental exams and this can help avoid greater risks of bone loss and fractures.

In order to prevent Osteoporosis, proper intake of calcium and phosphates to build strong bones is required right from childhood. We can use dental exams to co-relate the symptoms of tooth loss with Osteoporosis and this can help in early diagnosis and prevention of the disease. It has been proved through research that dental x-rays are very effective in distinguishing people with osteoporosis and those with correct bone density. Hence, dental x-rays can be used for early screening of this silent disease.