POSTN and periodontitis: However, the offspring of SOST knock-out mice and periostin null mice did not have alveolar bone loss, and an early treatment of Scl-Ab to periostin null mice could prevent the changes of osteocytes morphology and the appearance of periodontitis symptoms, and a late treatment could increase the density and height of alveolar bone and reduce the formation of bone resorption lacunae [113].