Women's oral health

Good oral health habits help protect against tooth decay, gum disease, and other oral health issues. However, women are more susceptible to changing hormone levels from puberty, certain types of birth control, pregnancy, and menopause, and these hormonal changes can have a negative impact on oral health. It comes as a surprise to most people that women need a very different treatment for dental healthcare than men. Women go through more hormonal changes than men in their lifetime, and these hormones are also accountable for deteriorating teeth and gum issues. 

Pregnancy can significantly affect women's dental health; as hormones during pregnancy affect how the gums respond to plaque, there is also an increased risk of gingivitis. Fluctuation of hormones during women's lifetime and especially during pregnancy can also increase the risk of periodontal disease, causing symptoms like inflamed, bleeding, swollen and receding gums, gaps between teeth, tooth loss, bad breath, and pain when chewing.

Different Stages in women's oral health

• Puberty

Puberty is triggered by the hormones estrogen and progesterone, which cause reactions in the gums that cause redness, bleeding, and swelling of the mouth. Gums in pubescent women's mouths may react differently to germs and bacteria, resulting in cavities and poor breath, as well as gingivitis (gum inflammation characterized by redness, swelling, tenderness, and bleeding). A woman may also develop canker sores and swollen salivary glands during her menstrual cycle. Healthy gums and teeth in adolescent women can be achieved by practicing good oral hygiene and regularly visiting the dentist for cleanings and exams.

• Pregnancy

From the get-go, it may not seem like oral well-being has a lot to do with pregnancy, yet keeping up with excellent oral well-being is basic. A mother's oral well-being can influence the general strength of her child, so it's essential to give close attention to dental health and any progressions that might emerge while pregnant.

An overflow of estrogen and progesterone are the guilty parties behind numerous dental-related changes during pregnancy. Due to this increase in hormones, it's normal for pregnant women to create "pregnancy gum disease," an irritation of the gums and surrounding tissues portrayed by redness, expanding, delicacy, and dying. Gum disease can prompt a more extreme type of gum infection, building the danger of pregnant women having premature, low-birth-weight infants. Regular cleanings will assist with holding conditions like gum disease or gum sickness under wraps alongside keeping up with good oral well-being habits like brushing two times every day with fluoride toothpaste and flossing day by day, really focusing on the gum line.

It is prescribed to plan a standard dental cleaning and test right off the bat in pregnancy to decide whether conditions exist that might require treatment. The right time for pregnant women to have X-beams or other dental systems is during the next three months. Visiting the dentist can assist with bringing down the danger of genuine, continuous medical problems for a pregnant woman and her child.

• Menopause

It's essential for women experiencing menopause to focus on their oral well-being. Post-menopausal women regularly experience dry mouth because of diminishing spit creation. Salivation shields against periodontal (gum) sickness and tooth root as it washes food off teeth, kills acids in the mouth, battles microorganisms, and helps fight bad breath. Certain drugs can build the risk for dry mouth. Menopausal women should contact their dentist, assuming they experience dry mouth.

The hormonal changes during menopause can cause osteoporosis; losing bone density in the jaw can cause tooth loss. Women can reduce the risk of osteoporosis's impacts by following nutritious dietary patterns that contain a lot of calcium and vitamin D and taking appropriate treatment choices with a specialist and dentist.

Hormones are unavoidable; however, they don't need to disrupt a woman's capacity to keep a solid grin at each age and phase of life. Women can keep up with their oral well-being through practices like brushing, flossing, routinely visiting the dentist, and following an eating routine. On this International Women's Day, find ways to work on your oral well-being or educate a woman in your life to let her know that it is okay to have dental problems work on her oral well-being. 

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