Women’s Hormones Linked To Gum Problems

Women’s Hormones and Gum Problems

Read this to understand how women’s hormones are related to gum problems especially around and after menopause.

Women, keep those toothbrushes and dental floss handy.

A comprehensive review of women’s health studies by Charlene Krejci, associate clinical professor at the Case Western Reserve University School of Dental Medicine, has shown a link between women’s health issues and gum disease; which is something I have seen in many of my female patients over the years where gum disease symptoms worsen or become more prevalent around the menstrual cycle, pregnancy and breastfeeding and menopause.

Hormones and Gum Health

Across the ages, hormonal changes take place during puberty, menstruation, pregnancy and menopause. Krejci found female hormones that fluctuate throughout women’s lives can change conditions in the mouth that allow bacteria to grow, enter the blood, and exacerbate certain health issues like bone loss, foetal death and pre-term births.

Her overview of the literature was reported in the article, “Women’s Health: Periodontitis and its Relation to Hormonal Changes, Adverse Pregnancy Outcomes and Osteoporosis” in the May issue of Oral Health and Preventive Dentistry.

The Case Western Reserve University periodontist reviewed 61 journal articles with nearly 100 studies for a collective answer on whether hormones have a relationship to gum disease and specific women’s health issues like preterm labour, bone loss, and the side effect of hormonal replacement therapy.

“There’s definitely a gender-specific connection between women’s hormones, gum disease, and specific health issues impacting women,” Krejci said.

Women Need A High Level of Dental Health

Although women tend to take better care of their oral health than men, the main message is women need to be even more vigilant about maintaining healthy teeth and gums to prevent or lessen the severity of some of the women-specific health issues.

In addition to the brushing and flossing daily regimen, it is recommended to visit the dentist at least every six months, and more regularly if there are any gum problems found or if women suffer from bone loss or are pregnant.

Whilst it is widely known that hormones cause some women gum problems during pregnancy however it is less widely understood that women already susceptible to gum disease before being pregnant need to make sure that these oral problems are treated.

Unfortunately, though women were once discouraged from seeing the dentist while pregnant it is now recommended that scaling and planing of the roots of teeth to eliminate some gum disease is done during pregnancy for women.

Severe gum disease requiring surgery is still generally postponed until after the baby’s birth.

Gum disease begins with the build-up of bacterial plaque on the teeth and under the gums. Untreated it can cause irritation and inflammation during which harmful and toxic byproducts are released. These toxins erode the bone that anchors teeth and causes breaks and bleeding in the gums.