3 Surprising Facts About Women’s Hormones and Oral Health

Women may attribute their irritability, moodiness, bloating, or emotional outburst to hormones. But hormones could also be the cause of your puffy, sensitive gums.

Women, if you brush and floss regularly and still have gum problems, don’t get frustrated: it’s hormonal, a study shows.

A study has revealed that hormones can impact oral health.

Researchers at the Case Western Reserve University reported that even if women tend to maintain better dental health practices than men do, they are still at greater risk for oral health problems.

Hormonal changes occur throughout a woman’s life. These hormone fluctuations happen at certain points of a woman’s life: menstruation, puberty, pregnancy, and menopause.

Puberty. In the puberty stage, there is a surge in production of the female hormones estrogen and progesterone. It can increase the blood flow to gums and change the way gum tissue reacts to irritants present in plaque. It can cause swelling gums and bleeding during brushing.

Pregnancy. During pregnancy, gingivitis may develop. Pregnant woman usually experience gingivitis during the eighth month of pregnancy. Hormone levels change during this stage in woman’s life because there is an increased level of progesterone hormones that can cause gum diseases.

Sometimes, women will avoid dental visits for fear that it would harm the baby. But doctors advised that they should continue dental treatments because untreated and decayed teeth can put both mother and baby at risk for infection.

“If you’re pregnant, you should even visit the dentist more often,” Erwin Mejia, DMD, Dental Director at Affinity Dental Clinics said.

Mejia said that once pregnant, women have certain limitations on the services they can avail at their dentist.

However, this does not mean that pregnant women should not go to the dentist. “Cleaning, restoration, pasta [treatments] are definitely okay, just not on the deeper teeth,” he said. If possible, surgical operations are also avoided.

Menopause. Menopause can be accompanied by numerous oral health changes. These changes include altered taste, burning sensation in the mouth, and decreased salivary flow which can result to dry mouth.

Because saliva is not available to moisten and cleanse the mouth, in can result to the accumulation of bacteria that can lead to tooth decay.

Brushing your teeth at least twice a day with fluoride-containing toothpaste can prevent oral health problems. Visiting your local dentist at least twice a year could give you professional advice on how you would take care of your mouth.