Population-based 5-year follow-up study in Taiwan of osteoporosis and risk of periodontitis.

Background: Osteoporosis and periodontitis are both considered global health issues that threaten postmenopausal women and the older population. However, the correlation between osteoporosis and periodontitis is still unclear.

Methods: Using a nationwide Taiwanese population-based database, data from patients with osteoporosis (2003 to 2005; n = 2,527) and 7,575 individuals who were matched to each patient by age and sex were analyzed. All participants were tracked for 5 years from the date of enrollment to observe the percentage of patients who developed periodontitis. Cox proportional hazard regressions were performed to evaluate 5-year periodontitis-free survival rates.

Results: Among the total sample, 3,060 individuals were diagnosed with periodontitis during the 5-year follow-up period: 792 in the study cohort and 2,268 in the comparison cohort. The adjusted hazard ratio for periodontitis in patients with osteoporosis compared with individuals without osteoporosis during the 5-year follow-up was 1.14 (95% confidence interval = 1.05 to 1.24, P <0.01).

Conclusion: This population-based study indicated that patients with osteoporosis may have an increased risk of periodontitis.