CONVENTIONAL TREATMENTS MAY NOT ADDRESS THE UNDERLYING ISSUES

Recently, the Women's Health Initiative study in the USA concluded that daily intake of calcium and Vit D supplements offered only modest bone improvements. Pharmaceutical treatments of osteoporosis with bisphosphonates drugs that block bone resorption have recently been linked with osteonecrosis of the jaws. (1)

Clearly there is a need to diagnose early and to treat the underlying causal factors instead of simply trying to increase the intake of certain nutrients like calcium and Vit D or block bone resorption. Of course this requires a more in depth and holistic approach since bone health is not just simply an issue of calcium and bone resorption.

The oral cavity is a window on the body and this is also true for osteoporosis. For example, in post-menopausal women, investigators have demonstrated a significant association between bone mineral density of the jaws and the peripheral skeleton. (2)

1- Association of osteonecrosis of the jaws and bisphosphonate pharmacotherapy: dental implications. Hay KD, Bishop PA. NZ Dental Journal 2006:127(1):4-9

2- Osteoporosis and oral bone loss. Hildebolt CF. Dentomaxillofaciac Radiol 1997; 26(1): 3-15