Hormones are famous for causing many bodily changes: acne, hair growth and voice cracks. But it also has subtler and more holistic bodily effects beyond the pubescent embarrassments. Oral health is an unexamined and unspoken health aspect that the human phases of hormonal change have significant effects on.
The most obvious and universal human hormonal change is puberty. However, a study at Case Western University concluded that women are more susceptible to oral disease because of the multiple periods of stark hormonal change that they go through in life. Many periods in women’s lives necessitate high hormonal change: pregnancy, puberty, menopause and menstruation to name the common ones. All these feature rapid, unstable changes in hormone levels, and have demonstrative effects on health and behavior.
For instance, the hormonal flushes of pregnancy can thicken hair and strengthen nails. Gingivitis and other oral health issues also grow from these hormonal flushes. The changing hormone conditions shift the environment of the mouth, resulting in an increased sensitivity and vulnerability to bacterial growth. Gingivitis during pregnancy is so common it has its own name: pregnancy gingivitis. Some women are affected by what is called a pregnancy tumor, red or purple bleeding mouth masses that are usually painless and often disappear once the baby has been born. Most importantly, these growths are not cancerous in any way. Gum swelling can also occur, and in extreme cases can even lead to the gums covering the teeth. In all these instances, the intense hormonal shift shakes oral health, resulting in weakness and infectious susceptibility.
The effects on dental health from these hormonal flushes can be exacerbated by continued exposure. The Journal of Epidemiology & Community Health tested the old wive’s tale stating that a woman, “gains a baby, and loses a tooth.” In a data collection survey across Europe, scholars found that women with more children had a greater number of missing teeth. This could suggest a correlation between the two. Results are inconclusive due to the nature of the information collection, but initial findings seem to support the folk tale’s conclusion.
Another key shift in hormones occurs during menopause. Menopause is a particularly vulnerable time for women’s health, with conditions like osteoporosis or insomnia becoming exacerbated or surfacing for the first time. And the gums are not exempt from this period of great change and effect. The gums and teeth become more susceptible to disease, swelling and bleeding at this point. Researchers have linked this to the osteoporotic effects of menopause, which in turn results from the steady decline in estrogen production throughout the peri- and post-menopausal stages.
Theories say that the osteoporotic effects extend to the jaw and teeth, so the brittleness and decreased density make the mouth more vulnerable. Scholars in Brazil conducted an experiment to see if osteoporotic estrogen treatment would increase oral health. Women were treated with estrogen or estrogen and progestin, alongside calcium and vitamin D supplements. The study found that there was a 44% decrease in oral disease in the treated group. It highlights the great effects hormones have on the body, whilst also reasserting the need for older women to handle their dental care with vigilance.
So people are not the only things that get moody when hormones rise. All aspects of the body change and develop, and it further shows how holistic oral health truly is! Please give our Westtown Dental Care team a call at 484-887-0777 to schedule a visit with Dr. Sara Bekyan and our team. We provide comprehensive dental care in West Chester, Pennsylvania and look forward to hearing from you!
Works Cited
Academy of General Dentistry. ScienceDaily. Effects of pregnancy on oral health. ScienceDaily, 23 November 2010.
BMJ. ScienceDaily. Larger families linked to heightened tooth loss risk for moms. ScienceDaily, 13 March 2018.
Case Western Reserve University. ScienceDaily. Gum disease joins hot flashes and PMS associated with women’s hormones. ScienceDaily, 29 May 2012.
The North American Menopause Society (NAMS). ScienceDaily. Estrogen therapy shown effective in reducing tooth and gum diseases in postmenopausal women. ScienceDaily, 22 February 2017.
University at Buffalo. ScienceDaily. Estrogen therapy may prevent gum disease in women over 50. ScienceDaily, 18 July 2017.
University of Maryland Baltimore. ScienceDaily. Sex hormones may explain higher risk of gum disease in men. ScienceDaily, 1 November 2010.