How Bone Mineral Density Affect Periodontal Health in Postmenopausal Women using DEXA Scanning: A Digital Radiographic Study

Background: Periodontitis and osteoporosis are the diseases with common feature of both bone loss. However, the relation and extent between these diseases is still unclear. The purpose of present study was to evaluate the relationship between periodontal status and systemic bone mineral density in postmenopausal women. Methods and Material: A total of 40 postmenopausal women aged between 45–60 Years (50.6±4.6 years) were randomly selected from the department of periodontics. All women were examined for periodontal status and Bone Mineral Density(BMD). Periodontal status was examined by recording plaque index(PI), gingival index(GI), pocket probing depth(PPD), clinical attachment level (CAL) and alveolar bone loss (ABL). BMD was measured by Dual Energy X-ray absorptiometry (DEXA) scan for bone mineral density score. (T-score) values. The recorded data for T-score and periodontal status were subjected to statistical analysis for correlation and regression analysis. Results: The results showed that there was no statistically significant correlation between Probing depth (r= -0.168, P > 0.05), gingival index (r= -0.441, P>0.05), and plaque index (r= -0.345, P>0.05) with T-score; whereas CAL (r= -0.604, P>0.05) and ABL (r= -0.637, P>0.05) was significantly correlated with T-score. Conclusion: In the present study systemic BMD was related to ABL and CAL, suggesting that postmenopausal bone loss can be a risk indicator for periodontal disease.