Osteoporosis Research Today is a free monthly online journal that collates and summarizes the latest research about Osteoporosis, including details on symptoms, treatment, prevention, causes.

Osteoporosis: diagnostic testing, interpretation, and correlations with oral health--implications for dentistry.

Mulligan R, Sobel S

University of Southern California, School of Dentistry, 925 West 34th Street, Los Angeles, CA 90089-0641, USA. mulligan@usc.edu

Osteoporosis affects over 10 million Americans, including over 2 million men. Dentistry is in a position to work alongside medicine to assist the population in preventing and coping with this condition. This article provides an overview of osteoporosis, including its causes, assessment, prevention, and treatment. Various pharmacologic agents are reviewed, including bisphosphonates, selective estrogen receptor modulators, calcitonin, anabolic agents, and fluoride. The article also discusses the dentist's role in prevention, risk assessment, diagnosis, nutrition counseling, and evaluating the impact of the disease and its treatment on dental management and treatment planning. As dental implants become more in demand, the prognosis for and potential complications of implant therapy in patients with osteoporosis are a matter of intense interest.

Published 9 March 2005 in Dent Clin North Am, 49(2): 463-84.
Full-text of this article is available online (may require subscription).

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