Most people don't find out they have osteoporosis until after their first fracture. By then, the window to slow or prevent bone loss has already closed. Writing in the Buffalo News, dentist and clinician-engineer W. Benton Swanson makes the case that the tools for early detection already exist and that the healthcare system simply isn't using them soon enough. Read the full piece here →

From the Buffalo News, by W. Benton Swanson:

"The irony is that we already have the tools to detect problems early. A simple, noninvasive bone density scan, known as DEXA, can identify bone loss years before the first fracture."

"Patients with osteopenia should leave the doctor's office educated in preventing the progression to osteoporosis. They can preserve bone density through weight-bearing exercise and adequate protein, calcium and vitamin D intake."

"The first meaningful conversation about osteoporosis should not happen after the first broken bone. It should happen years earlier, when patients have the opportunity to preserve their bone health."

Swanson's piece in the Buffalo News is a practical reminder that early screening can help patients stay ahead of bone loss before it becomes a problem.

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