Let me preface this post by saying regular dental health exams are essential healthcare for every person, not just women! As we have discussed before, oral health affects your entire body in many ways. From heart health to arthritis, oral bacteria and the substances they produce can travel to other body systems and cause big problems. But good oral health is essential for women.
Women face extra threats from poor oral health compared to men. Not only that, but some studies indicate women may have less access to dental healthcare, compared to men. That’s why we’d like to take a minute to encourage our female patients to take an oral self-care moment asap.
Female Hormones May Exacerbate Poor Gum Health
Female hormones include estrogen and progesterone, among others. These hormones fluctuate throughout a woman’s lifetime, and even week to week. Additionally, estrogen and progesterone directly affect the gums and the ligaments that support the teeth.
That means that people with higher female hormones in their body may be at higher risk for severe outcomes from gum disease. And yes, this may include male-to-female trans people as well! (More on that in an upcoming post.)
For cis women, menstrual cycles, pregnancy, puberty, and menopause all affect oral health directly. During her period, for example, a woman might notice increased swelling and bleeding in her gums. Pregnancy comes with extra inflammation, and even a condition called pyogenic granulomas (aka pregnancy tumors), a benign overgrowth of gum tissues.
For older women, menopause can mean weakening bone tissue, which can affect the bone crest that supports the teeth, making tooth loss from periodontal disease more of a risk.
Women Take More Medications Which Can Compromise Oral Health
While osteoporosis can affect anyone, women are typically at a higher risk because of those hormones we mentioned above. With an osteoporosis diagnosis, medications are almost always recommended. However, some of those medications can seriously affect oral health.
Bisphosphonates, such as Fosamax and Boniva, come with a slew of side effects. While these medications can do wonders to slow damage to bone tissue, patients should have a careful conversation with their doctor before starting them.
Once a person has taken these medications, getting a tooth pulled becomes severely risky. Bisphosphonates can cause bone tissue to necrotize (die off) after an extraction, leading to serious complications.
It is therefore extremely important that these patients maintain excellent dental health throughout the rest of their life. Cavities must be treated as early as possible, and gums must be kept healthy. Periodontal disease and decay are serious risks for patients who have taken these medications (usually post-menopausal women).
Poor Oral Health Can Compromise Pregnancy
Good oral health is especially essential for pregnant women, as gum disease can adversely affect pregnancy.
The most obvious example of this are complications to pregnancy for women with poor oral health. The bacteria that cause gum disease can release chemicals into the blood that mimic certain hormones. These chemicals can lead to low birthweight and even preterm labor.
For this reason, if you are pregnant, or considering becoming pregnant in the next few years, we highly recommend getting your oral health in order.
In fact, many of our patients choose to come in for more frequent cleanings while they are pregnant. Not only does it help with those swollen, bleeding gums, but it can also provide one more way to protect your unborn baby.
Poor Oral Health May Increase Breast Cancer Risk
Perhaps most compellingly of all, multiple studies over several years have shown that periodontal disease significantly increases a woman’s risk of developing breast cancer. Researchers believe that there are multiple reasons poor gum health may impact cancer risk.
First of all, periodontal disease increases inflammation throughout the body. This chronic, low-grade inflammatory state may increase a person’s risk for all types of cancer. However, as we mentioned in the previous section, some oral pathogens create chemicals that mimic female hormones. For women with gum disease, this might mean pushing their system over the edge and stimulating the process that starts the development of breast cancer.
Great oral health is important for all patients, regardless of their sex. However, we do encourage our female patients to pay extra attention to their oral health and make sure they are getting those regular appointments in! Stay healthy, ladies of Orlando!
