Could medications used to strengthen bones also help prevent tooth loss in people with type 2 diabetes? A new study suggests that parathyroid hormone (PTH) and abaloparatide may help restore the bone supporting teeth, potentially offering a new approach to managing diabetes-related periodontal bone loss.
Published in the International Journal of Oral Science on October 29, 2026, the study conducted by researchers at Indiana University School of Medicine and the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences investigated the effects of PTH and abaloparatide on alveolar bone regeneration in diabetic mice.
Type 2 diabetes is associated with an increased risk of periodontitis and alveolar bone deterioration, which can weaken tooth support and eventually contribute to tooth loss.
Researchers examined mice with established type 2 diabetes induced through a high-fat diet and streptozotocin treatment.
Using micro-computed tomography, tissue analysis and genetically modified mice, the team evaluated how PTH and abaloparatide influenced bone formation and breakdown.
The findings revealed that both treatments significantly increased alveolar bone volume and restored bone height towards levels observed in non-diabetic mice.
Importantly, the same treatments produced no overall increase in alveolar bone mass in healthy mice because increased bone formation was accompanied by increased bone resorption.
Further investigation revealed that PTH and abaloparatide reduced the activity of two bone formation inhibitors, sclerostin and Dickkopf-1, in osteocytes.
This activated Wnt signalling and increased RUNX2 expression in periodontal ligament cells, supporting new bone formation.
Researchers also discovered that PTH1R signalling in osteocytes was essential for the bone-building effects, while signalling in other bone marrow cells contributed to bone resorption.
Interestingly, the treatments did not further increase the already elevated osteoclast numbers in diabetic mice, allowing bone formation to outweigh breakdown.
However, the findings are based on animal experiments and do not establish that these medications can prevent tooth loss in humans.
REFERENCE: Turkkahraman, H., et al. (2026). Bone anabolic agents repair alveolar bone damaged by diabetes in mice. International Journal of Oral Science. DOI: 10.1038/s41368-026-00470-3. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41368-026-00470-3
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