When you think of osteoporosis, you probably think of bone density loss in the spine or hips. Yet your jaw bone can be one of the first areas to experience bone loss. Osteoporosis is a condition that results in gradual loss of bone volume, weakening your skeletal structure. Dr. Will Akin stresses the important link between this bone disease and dental health in his Nashville, TN, practice.


The Link between Osteoporosis and Dental Health
Your teeth are supported by your jaw bone. Your “tooth socket” is actually like a pocket in the bone where each tooth fits. When osteoporosis is present, the bone density in your jaw decreases, leaving your teeth vulnerable. They may become loose or shift. Interestingly, gum disease has this same effect on your dental health. 


Patients with prolonged gum disease also suffer from osteoporosis because the bacteria that cause gum disease destroy the connective tissue and bone that hold your teeth in place. Once the hopeless teeth are extracted and the jaw has no tooth roots to stimulate the bone, the bone loss process expedites, further advancing osteoporosis.


What You Can Do to Protect Dental Health from Osteoporosis

  1. Take charge of your dental health. Schedule regular dental exams and cleanings to ensure that your jaw bone, and the rest of your smile, remains healthy.
  2. If you suffer from bone loss in your jaw, consider bone grafts as a way to restore bone density. Dr. Akin performs bone grafting for patients who want to augment bone volume, preserve facial structure, or wish to have dental implants.
  3. When you have an extraction, replace your missing tooth with a dental implant. The post of the implant performs the same function as a tooth root. It will stimulate the bone, preserving bone volume.
  4. Get regular screenings to discover whether you have bone loss. Your doctor and our periodontist can work together to protect your dental health and overall health.


Do you need to be checked for osteoporosis? Call us to schedule your consultation with Dr. Will Akin to learn more about the link between this bone disease and dental health in Nashville, TN.