The combination of gum disease and thinning bones may put postmenopausal women at particular risk of tooth loss, new research shows.

Researchers found that among 106 postmenopausal women, those with greater deterioration in the bones supporting the teeth were more likely to lose a tooth to periodontal disease over the next 10 to 13 years.

Periodontal disease, also called gum disease, is an infection of the gums and supporting structures of the teeth.

Gum disease is common among older people, and in severe cases can lead to tooth loss.

After Menopause, women have “additional unique factors,” including dips in estrogen and bone density, that further increase their risk of tooth loss, said Dr. Mine Tezal, the lead author of the new study.

The findings, published in the Journal of Periodontology, highlight the importance of treating women’s gum disease early on, according to Tezal, a research assistant professor at the University of Buffalo in New York.

“Periodontal disease is a silent disease and does not get noticed usually until late stages, since it is not usually painful,” she told.

Proper brushing, flossing and regular dental check-ups can go a long way toward preventing tooth loss, particularly after Menopause, according to Tezal.

“Since postmenopausal women lose bone at an increased rate,” she said, “control of periodontal disease can significantly reduce (their) tooth loss.”

In her team’s study, more than 57 percent of women lost at least one tooth during the follow-up period. The researchers found that the top risk factor for tooth loss was the degree of deterioration in the alveolar bones, which support the teeth.

A woman’s risk of tooth loss tripled with each millimeter in alveolar bone loss she had at the study’s outset.

Periodontal disease arises when bacteria in the sticky plaque that forms on teeth infects the gums, causing them to pull away from the teeth and form “pockets” that become infected. Eventually, the bone and connective tissue holding the teeth in place may start to break down.

The early, reversible stage of gum disease is known as gingivitis. Signs of that, Tezal noted, include reddening, swelling or bleeding in the gums.

SOURCE: Journal of Periodontology, July 2005.