Background: Several studies have demonstrated a relationship between tooth loss and alveolar residual ridge resorption and systemic osteoporosis. The recognized benefit of estrogen replacement therapy (ERT) in postmenopausal osteoporosis prompted review of the Leisure World Cohort Study regarding the effects of ERT on tooth loss and the need for dentures in older women.
Methods: The Leisure World Cohort, established in 1981, comprises 13,979 residents (8877 women) of a retirement community. Of the 5935 cohort women alive in 1992, 3921 returned a dental survey with sufficient information to analyze relationships with ERT as reported on the original baseline questionnaire.
Results: After adjusting for age, tooth loss and rates of edentia were significantly lower in estrogen users than in nonusers (relative risk for edentia, 0.64; 95% confidence interval, 0.51 to 0.79). The proportion of women with edentia decreased with increasing duration of ERT. Denture wearing was also less common in estrogen users than in nonusers (relative risk, 0.81; 95% confidence interval, 0.71 to 0.93) and decreased with increasing duration of ERT.
Conclusion: Estrogen replacement therapy may be beneficial in preventing tooth loss and the need for dentures in older women.