• Two hundred eight white women, aged 60 to 69 years, had acquired 218 upper or lower full dentures. Each woman's smoking habits and current osteoporosis severity (percent cortical area [PCA] at metacarpal midshaft) were compared with the age at which she had acquired each full denture. Among osteoporotic women (PCA<70%) who still had their natural teeth at age 50 years, 44% had required a new full denture before age 60 compared with 15% of nonosteoporotic women (PCA>80). Different denture requirements between these groups had not existed before age 50 but had continued after age 60. Fifty-two percent of smokers, 26% of nonsmokers, and only 8% of nonosteoporotic nonsmokers had required dentures since age 50. These observations strongly suggest that middle-aged women may be more likely to retain their teeth if they avoid smoking and undertake a program effective in preventing progression of osteoporosis.
(Arch Intern Med 1983;143:1678-1682)