Women's Dental Health Care Needs

Women's dental health care tends to be a bit more complex than men's are. As a woman's body develops and matures it goes through specific stages of puberty, menstruation, pregnancy and menopause. During those times, their oral health needs change too.

Women experience hormonal fluctuations throughout their lives particularly during menstruation and pregnancy that affects many tissues including tissues in the mouth and gum tissues. Problems with gum tissues can cause the onset of periodontitus.

Periodontitus is often a silent disease and many people do not realise they have it until it has reached an advanced state.

During puberty young girls experience an increase in hormones such as estrogen and progesterone which cause increased blood circulation to the gums resulting in swelling. Gums become more sensitive with a greater reaction to irritants such as food particles and plaque.

As they progress through puberty, the swelling and irritation become less but it is important to take extra care of their teeth and visit a dentist regularly.

During menstruation, some women experience bleeding gums, red and swollen gums and mouth sores. Called menstrual gingivitis, this typically occurs before a woman's period but clears when the period has started.

During pregnancy, women may experience an increase in pregnancy gingivitis and suffer from bleeding, swelling, redness and soreness around the gums. Usually occurring during the second or third month of pregnancy it may continue through the eighth month.

Sometimes when the gums swell due to pregnancy gingivitis, they react strongly to irritants causing large lumps to form on the gums. These pregnancy tumors are not cancerous and easily removed by a periodontist.

Pregnant women who are suffering from any form of periodontal disease should seek medical or dental advice. Studies show pregnant women who suffer from periodontal disease are seven times more likely to give birth prematurely and the baby to be small.

Birth control and pregnancy planning: When a woman is planning to become pregnant, she should include a periodontal evaluation into her plans. On the other side of the coin, anyone who takes an oral contraceptive should know that some antibiotics and other drugs taken to lessen menstrual gingivitis might lessen the effect of the oral contraceptive.

During menopause and post menopause women may experience discomfort from dry mouth, burning sensations on their gums and a change in their taste.

Estrogen supplements may help in the relief of these symptoms.

Women are more susceptible to periodontal problems than men's are, due to hormone changes throughout every phase of their lives. Throughout a woman's life, dental hygiene should always be a top priority with regular checkups particularly during puberty and pregnancy.