There are so many factors that can affect oral health, even if you have an amazing oral care routine. Did you know that hormones can be one of the biggest factors that can cause issues with your oral health? For women, this can be one of the biggest battles you fight throughout your life. As a woman, your body will go through so many different stages thanks to the hormones that grow and change and take you from puberty through menopause. On top of the aches and pains that come with these times in your life, did you know that one of the biggest pains is how these changing hormones can affect your teeth and gums? Even if you have a wonderful oral care routine, your hormones can cause some pretty serious pain and irritation. But with each changing tide of hormones, what kind of dental pain and problems could you be facings along with the natural aches and pains of the body?
All Life Stages
- During any of these changes of hormones, regardless of an increase or decrease, extra care on your end and visiting the dentist needs to happen and can ease these changes happening in your body. You can catch issues before they become serious or work hard with your dentist to prevent them as much as possible.
- Hormonal fluctuation can accelerate any existing dental disease.
- Hormone surges can cause excessive growth of plaque, puffy gums, and dry mouth.
- High levels of progesterone can cause an overgrowth of dangerous bacteria, cause muscle tissue to swell, and limit or eliminate immune function that doesn’t allow the tissue to repair itself.
- Puberty, menstruation, pregnancy, and menopause are the high times where a woman’s body changes the most. When these times of your life set in, you will need to pay extra attention to your dental care. You need to pay attention to and might experience the following symptoms:
- Jaw related problems and headaches.
- Dry Socket
- Build up of gingivitis
- Chronic ulcers
- Abnormal taste sensation
- Gum disease
- Tooth decay
- Bad breath
- Gingivitis
Puberty
- While young women in their teenage years begin to have an influx of estrogen and progesterone, it is not uncommon to have some swollen and tender gums, as these levels increase or decrease in the mouth.
- Birth control pills can also be a leading cause of all kinds of issues, one of the most common being hormonal gingivitis. Gums can become inflamed, swollen, red, and bleed easily. It can make gum tissue more sensitive.
Pregnancy
- Tender and swollen gums can also appear during pregnancy. But it is also very important to pay close attention to your dental health during your pregnancy, because of the influx of hormones while carrying the child. If you’re not taking care of or addressing any oral health issues during this time, any issues can end up hurting the baby. Any bacteria or other infections can go into other parts of the body from the mouth and directly to the baby.
Menopause
- When a woman’s body is changing during menopause, it can lead to changes and difficulty with the support of the periodontal structures of the mouth.
- A decrease in estrogen can lead to osteoporosis in the jaw, and can also lead to jaw shrinkage.
When your body is constantly changing throughout your life, it can be hard to keep up with your body’s decisions on how it will react. Try and be as proactive as possible and prepare yourself for whatever it could bring your way. Always stay on top of dental cleanings and appointments and make sure you have a strong oral care routine too!