Even though we all wish things would stay the same every day, that is regrettably different from how life is. Things shift every day and occasionally several times in a single 24-hour period. But as we age, our bodies undergo alterations that may occur more gradually. But that doesn’t make them any less significant. Your dentist wants you to know that while men and women go through various phases and changes throughout their lifetimes, women’s hormonal changes can impact general and oral health.
How Women’s Dental Health Concerns Differ From Men’s
Women and men go through almost the same stages of life. While men don’t go through menopause, they still age like anyone else. The stages in a woman’s life can present many dental health concerns:
- Puberty: During puberty, a woman experiences her first significant hormonal change. Although it differs from person to person, puberty can start as early as age eight and typically occurs when a young woman is 14. Numerous changes, including emotional, mood, estrogen, and progesterone fluctuations, are frequently experienced during adolescence. Those last two hormones may impact the condition of your teeth. As blood flow to the gums is increased by estrogen and progesterone, pubescent women frequently have swollen or red gums that can hemorrhage when brushing or flossing.
- Menstruation: Additional hormonal changes will continue after adolescence and even when most women are in their early to late teens. Careful attention to her gum health is critical when a woman’s menstrual cycle begins. Women frequently experience sore gums or occasionally canker sores during this period. Both should go away independently; if not, contact your dentist to make an appointment. Additionally, during this stage of life, hormonal shifts can result in dry mouth, which raises the risk of cavities or bad breath.
- Pregnancy: Pregnancy can cause physiological changes when a woman is ready to become a mother. Premature births, gestational diabetes, and preeclampsia have all been linked to poor dental health, making dental treatment crucial during pregnancy. Gingivitis, a mouth condition, is quite typical in expectant mothers. In reality, hormone changes cause gingivitis in about half of all pregnant women. Throughout your pregnancy, visit your dentist and continue to clean and floss frequently.
- Menopause: Menopause is the last step of significant hormonal changes in women. This time, hormone levels drop instead of rising. Women who experience hormone loss may experience osteoporosis, bone thinning, and jaw bone weakening. The likelihood of tooth loss and the need for dentures or dental implants to substitute missing teeth increases with the jaw bone’s fragility.
When it comes to oral health, men and women are very comparable. For instance, they share the same structure, gum tissue, and tooth count. Men and women do, however, have slightly different oral health, which is caused by biological and societal factors. Women are more likely than men to visit the dentist, while men are more likely to acquire gum disease and oral cancer.
Clair Dental PLLC Can Help You With All Your Dental Concerns.
Being a woman is challenging enough without constantly worrying about dental visits. The staff at St. Clair Dental PLLC can help you with your concerns. Call Dr. Maureen Karl at (817) 910-2880 to schedule an appointment today!