How Your Dental Health Can Be Affected By Osteoporosis

Aug 25, 2021 | Dental Information

Keeping your bones healthy is very important because they will affect your dental health. Diseases like osteoporosis will impact your oral health and, for this reason, you must care for your bones the way you care for your teeth because they construct the jaw and help hold your teeth in place.

The jawbone supports our teeth and the loss of this particular bone will increase the chances of tooth loss. The two are related and when a person’s bone starts to weaken, their teeth will become loose and may fall out as a result. Osteoporosis is a chronic disease that causes bones to break easily and, in most cases, will trigger low bone density, which will impact the jawbone significantly. This will result in serious dental issues because the jawbone supports teeth and when it is weak, it will be unable to hold them in place. Ageing, menopause and lack of nutrients are the main causes of osteoporosis, which will negatively affect the gums and lead to the loss of teeth. This disease will severely impact the jawbone and whenever the jawbone is affected by chronic bone disease, other dental issues will generally follow. Osteoporosis is often an aggravating factor in periodontal destruction and is a very serious issue that must be addressed.

Women are more susceptible to this disease, meaning they have a higher chance of experiencing dental issues. Women who are either entering or are already in their menopausal phase have an even higher chance of experiencing oral health problems because of the hormone imbalances. Menopause is known to trigger the resorption of bones leading to a decline in bone density and the increase in bone loss can be the cause of osteoporosis. This causes women to experience difficulty with healing after oral surgeries and dental procedures. Some of the ways women can help lower their risk is by taking supplements, increasing calcium intake or undergoing hormone therapy, which would encourage a healthy hormone balance.

Prevention is a must and a high-calcium diet is the key to preventing osteoporosis and other oral health issues. Simply taking a supplement is not enough when it comes to providing the body with enough nutrients, which is why calcium-rich foods are very important. Foods like broccoli and kale contain fortified calcium as do certain dairy products like milk and plain yogurt, so make sure you consume the right amount. Relying solely on supplements will result in negative side effects like constipation, indigestion and an increased risk of kidney stones. It is also important to understand that smoking, poor diet and high caffeine intake are all risk factors associated with both osteoporosis and periodontal disease.

Slipacoff Dental can provide you with more information and will help with all of your dental health needs. We are located in Sarnia and our dentists will make sure you and your family have beautiful and healthy smiles, so contact us now!