Estudo comparativo das condições bucais e salivares em pacientes com e sem perda de massa óssea

Abstract

Introduction: Osteoporosis is a silent and increasingly prevalent disease that can cause fractures and influence patients quality of life. Objective: To evaluate comparatively the saliva of patients with and without loss of bone mass in the dosage of calcium, viscosity and pH .Methods: a controlled cross-sectional study was conducted with two groups of 32 women in the postmenopausal period, applying a bone densitometry exam, who were later referred for dental management at the Federal University of Minas Gerais (UFMG). Patients were separated into two groups: group 1 - patients with low BMD and group 2 - patients without bone mass changes. The parameters evaluated in saliva were: salivary calcium concentration, flow, viscosity, pH, and average total protein. An oral examination was also performed, searching for DMFT variables and tongue coating. Data were analyzed using descriptive and inferential statistics, adopting a p-value < 0.05. Results: The patients mean age was 60 years (± 7:35). The salivary flow, pH, and viscosity were similar among the groups. The average total protein was 14.8 mg/mL and 19.0 mg/ml in groups with low BMD and no observed changes, respectively. The presence of tongue coating and salivary calcium values were significantly higher in patients with low BMD (p < 0.001). Conclusion: Salivary calcium provided important screening tools and may eventually be used to make the diagnosis of bone mass changes, as it presented statistically significant results in the group with low bone mass.