If you suffer from arthritis or osteoporosis, you are probably well aware of the effect that your condition has on your joints and bones. What you may not be aware of, however, is the damage that these conditions can also do to the wellbeing of your teeth.
To this end, it is extremely important that you do everything in your power to make sure that you protect the wellness of your teeth by doing everything possible to keep them immaculate, strong and healthy.
Any treatment for osteoporosis should include a dental overview so that your physician is aware of the state of bones in your entire body, including those in your jaw. A thorough dental evaluation is really important before you even consider starting a treatment course for osteoporosis (either through IV or an oral course of treatment).
The bones in your body are constantly being broken down and then being built back up again. The medications that are commonly prescribed for osteoporosis are designed to stop bones breaking down, which is a great thing in terms of halting the disease, but can affect the normal performance of bone. Bisphosphonates in particular can cause problems with bone healing, so a visit to the dentist is extremely advisable if you have been recommended this course of treatment.
If you already take medication for osteoporosis and have not yet had a dental review, the best idea is to book in for a quick bone test, which will allow your dentist to check your teeth and see what kind of state the bone is in, as well as assessing whether your current medication is suitable for your oral health.
This is usually done with a morning fasting serum CTX test, which measures how well your bones are repairing themselves. If there are found to be problems, you could opt to take a break from your medication and then re-test, if your health care provider feels that is appropriate.