The relationship between mineral status of the organism and the number of teeth present and periodontal condition in postmenopausal patients.

PURPOSE The determination of the relationship between the mineral status of the organism and the number of teeth present and periodontal condition in women after menopause. MATERIAL AND METHODS The study covered 65 postmenopausal women with partial loss of dentition, mean age was 66.2 years. The group was divided into 3 subgroups: healthy, with osteopenia and with osteoporosis. The division was made on the basis of the results of densitometric analysis (BMD) of femoral neck (F) and the lumbar spine (L2-L4), according to diagnostic criteria concerning the density of bone mass according to WHO. The number of teeth present was taken into consideration in the clinical examination. Periodontal condition was evaluated using CPITN index. RESULTS The total number of own teeth strongly negatively correlated with the results of the lumbar spine densitometry. The correlation between mineral density of the lumbar spine and the femoral neck and the number of teeth in the maxilla was also strongly negative. However, the significant relationship between the number of teeth present in the mandible and the mineral density of examined bones was not observed. We did not state the increase in periodontal changes advancement together with the decrease in mineral status in the examined group of women. CONCLUSIONS There was not any influence observed of the decreased mineral status of the organism on the number of own teeth and the degree of periodontal disease advancement.