Tooth loss and bone mineral density in postmenopausal South Korean women: The 2008-2010 Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey

Purpose The current study aimed to investigate the association between the number of remaining teeth and bone mineral density (BMD) using data from the Korean National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (KNHANES) 2008-2010. Methods This study enrolled 7315 Korean subjects (3364 men over 50 years of age and 3951 postmenopausal women). BMD was measured using dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry at three sites: the total femur (TF), femur neck (FN), and lumbar spine (LS). The number of teeth present was categorized into four groups (≤10, 11-20, 21-25, and ≥26 teeth). Results More remaining teeth were significantly associated with a higher BMD at the TF, FN, and LS in postmenopausal women after adjusting for all the covariates, but not in elderly men. In both sexes, subjects with a normal BMD tended to have more remaining teeth than those who were diagnosed with osteopenia and osteoporosis. A lower prevalence of osteoporosis was also significantly associated with more remaining teeth (number of teeth ≥26) in postmenopausal women. This trend was statistically significant in osteoporosis at the FN (p for trend = 0.019). Conclusion The number of remaining teeth was associated with osteoporosis, especially at the FN, in postmenopausal women.