The effect of osteoporosis medication on bite force in older adults: a prospective clinical study.

OBJECTIVES: This study aimed to investigate the association between the commonly used anti-resorptive drug denosumab and improvements in bite force among older individuals with osteoporosis. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The 38 osteoporosis participants included 20 women and 18 men with an average age of 71.2 years. Those who had good periodontal conditions were newly diagnosed with osteoporosis and scheduled to receive denosumab treatment. All participants were requested to estimate bite force using the occlusal analyzer (Dental Prescale II system, GC Corp., Tokyo, Japan) before and after denosumab administration. Measurements were taken at baseline before denosumab and six months later, just prior to the second dose. Participants were requested to bite maximally for three seconds during testing. The data were analyzed with paired t-tests using SPSS with significance set at p < 0.05. RESULTS: Mean bite force increased from 238.63 ± 169.21 N to 523.78 ± 512.80 N after six months of denosumab. The increase was statistically significant (p = 0.0017). CONCLUSIONS: Older adults with osteoporosis tended to significantly increase their habitual biting force six months after receiving denosumab treatment. Denosumab may not only inhibit bone loss but also potentially enhance masticatory function in the aging population affected by osteoporosis. CLINICAL RELEVANCE: Denosumab therapy significantly enhances bite force in older adults with osteoporosis, suggesting improved masticatory function alongside bone preservation. This functional benefit may contribute to better nutrition, oral health, and quality of life. The findings support denosumab as a dual-action treatment with skeletal and stomatognathic advantages in geriatric care.