FLUORIDATED DRINKING-WATER, ESTROGEN THERAPY AND RESIDUAL RIDGE RESORPTION

Anamnestic and clinical investigations were made for 230 postmenopausa l women to determine whether the alveolar height in edentulous jaws is associated with the time that the subjects have consumed artificially fluoridated drinking water. The duration of possible hormone replacem ent therapy was also considered. The results of the present study supp ort those of previous studies which have shown that the effect of syst emic factors dominates the final stage of residual ridge resorption. A ccording to this study, artificially fluoridated water may also reduce the degree of residual ridge resorption, the impact of which first be comes manifest when most of the ridge has disappeared.