ASSOCIATION BETWEEN PERIODONTAL DISEASE AND OSTEOPOROSIS

Osteoporosis and periodontal disease (PD) are two chronic diseases, characterized by bone loss, with systemic or local impact (alveolar bone). Both pathologies have a progressive evolution, leading to systemic bone loss in the case of osteoporosis and bone lysis localized in the alveolar bone in the case of periodontal disease. The present paper presents recent data from the literature on the association between periodontal disease and osteoporosis, on the role of cytokines in the bone resorption-apposition imbalance, and on how periodontal disease causes changes in serum levels of cytokines, leading to disorders in the systemic bone formation. We also found it useful, especially for rheumatologists, to outline the extent to which periodontal disease can create a systemic context favorable to the development of osteoporosis.