Question: When I had Cushing’s I lost a number of my teeth due to what I was told was bone loss. Is that the same as osteoporosis and would any of the osteoporosis drugs help me from losing more teeth as some are still loose?

Answer: Patients with Cushing’s are at increased risk to develop periodontal disease and its sequelae of tooth loss for two reasons: first, cortisol inhibits white blood cells from migrating into the space between the gum and teeth where they can fight against local bacteria; second, cortisol inhibits new bone formation which contributes to the osteoporosis of the jaw bone. Things get better after cure of the hypercortisolism. At this time there is a study in progress for treating periodontal disease with osteoporosis drugs. The outcome of the study is not known as yet.

By Dr. George Chrousos MD (July, 1998)