Periodontitis may worsen systemic bone loss, study finds

Dental Tribune International

Thu. 13. August 2026

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SOUTHPORT, Australia/NANJING, China: Animal studies have shown that periodontitis can aggravate systemic bone loss, and other work has implicated the gut microbiota in systemic bone effects associated with periodontitis. In a recent laboratory study, researchers brought these strands together to investigate whether periodontitis worsens osteoporotic bone loss via gut microbiota-mediated mechanisms and whether treating periodontitis could modulate these effects. The findings support a possible role for oral healthcare in patients at risk of systemic bone loss, although confirmation in human studies is needed.

According to study co-author Prof. Yin Xiao, the findings from a recent mouse study provide further mechanistic evidence that periodontitis may aggravate osteoporotic bone loss. (Image: Griffith University)

Co-author Dr Yin Xiao, distinguished professor in the School of Medicine and Dentistry at Griffith University in Southport, said the study provided further insight into how periodontal inflammation may influence systemic bone metabolism. “Periodontitis doesn’t just disturb oral microbiota; it also affects the gastro-intestinal microbiome, impairing gut barrier integrity and elevating systemic inflammation,” he explained in a press release.

In the study, the researchers used a mouse model in which osteoporosis and periodontitis were induced. They found that, compared with mice with osteoporosis alone, mice with both osteoporosis and periodontitis showed more severe alveolar bone destruction and greater deterioration of femoral trabecular bone. These changes were accompanied by increased osteoclast activity, higher serum levels of a bone resorption marker and elevated systemic inflammatory mediators. Periodontal treatment reduced indicators of systemic inflammation and bone resorption.

Importantly, the study reported that periodontitis disrupted intestinal barrier function, reshaped gut microbiota and altered gut metabolite profiles and that periodontal treatment partly restored intestinal barrier function. Faecal microbiota transplantation from mice with both osteoporosis and untreated periodontitis into recipients with osteoporosis transferred a similar pattern of femoral bone loss, systemic inflammation and gut barrier impairment. In contrast, microbiota from donors that had received periodontal treatment partially mitigated these effects, supporting a mediating role for the gut microbiota in this animal model.

The findings corroborate previous experimental evidence that periodontitis may worsen osteoporosis through gut microbiota-mediated mechanisms. The study also suggests that periodontal treatment may partly mitigate the associated gut barrier dysfunction, as well as systemic inflammation and bone resorption. However, research is needed to determine whether the same mechanisms operate in humans. Citing previous epidemiological evidence, Prof. Xiao noted that older people affected by both periodontitis and osteoporosis may face a greater fracture risk than those with either condition alone. The findings therefore support further investigation into whether periodontal management could contribute to comprehensive care for patients at risk of systemic bone loss.

The study, titled “Periodontitis aggravates bone loss through gut microbiota alterations in ovariectomized mice”, was published online on 8 July 2026 in npj Biofilms and Microbiomes, ahead of final publication.