ORAL HEALTH OF WOMEN

Women are known to go through a lot of which changes throughout their lives which have a great hormonal influence on them which affects their well being. Such hormonal influence can cause disturbance in keeping their oral hygiene intact.

Here we discuss different phases & situations in a woman’s life & how to take of themselves throughout.

PUBERTY

The stage where a girl becomes a woman.

Hormones such as Estrogen & Progesterone are at peak which can lead to swollen red and bleeding gums throughout the time.

Also canker sores & swollen salivary glands are commonly seen during menstrual cycle.

BIRTH CONTROL PILLS

All birth control pills lead to a sudden hike in hormone level leading to rush of blood in the gums which can develop acute gingivitis (gum disease).

It is crucial for you to always till your dentist that you are on a contraceptive pill.

PREGNANCY

During pregnancy, a woman goes through hormonal changes which lead to increased risk of gum diseases and tooth decay. The teeth are often ignored but when left untreated, can become a big deal for both the mother and the developing child.

A study conducted by The Scientific American shows that if there is tooth decay in the mother, the child is prone to early childhood tooth decay as well. Most importantly untreated gum disease during pregnancy can lower the development of the child and thus can lead to premature (born too early) and low weight (born too small) births. Women who have disease causing bacteria’s in their oral cavity have a 50% risk of premature delivery.

Another study by Juiz De For a MGi Brazil, 2003 shows that untreated gum disease during pregnancy leads to 84% low weight births.

Thus, a woman should brush twice a day with a fluoridated toothpaste, floss, eat a balanced diet and visit a dentist regularly in order to maintain oral health.

The dentist should be well aware of the woman’s pregnancy status.

Routine dental care and many urgent procedures can be done in pregnancy considering 2nd trimester, (4th to 6th month) being the safest.

MENOPAUSE

Women after menopause develop higher risk of getting a dry mouth due to a decrease in saliva production Also, osteoporosis, a disease causing bone loss in body is seen common in post menopausal women which in case of oral health may attribute to increased risk of tooth loss due to weak bone around the tooth women should take a nutritious diet including calcium and vitamin D.

Through all phases of life, it is always mandatory to see a dentist every 6 months so that no matter what your body is going through you maintain the beautiful smile you deserve.