What do dry mouth, receding gums, altered taste, and tooth decay all share? These are oral health symptoms that can plague women at menopause. While hot flashes and mood swings typically take center stage during menopause, the natural phase of a woman’s life over 50, many women don’t realize there is a connection between menopause and their oral health. As women navigate their hormonal journey, understanding this less-discussed connection can be an essential component to maintaining a vibrant smile and healthy teeth.
A recent survey found that 70 percent of women 50 and over experienced many oral health symptoms that they had no idea were related to the hormonal changes of menopause. Despite experiencing oral health-related symptoms such as increased tooth decay, bleeding gums, reduced saliva, and burning tongue, among others, women typically don’t connect these dental dots to menopause. Remarkably, 90 percent of women in the survey didn’t realize, for instance, that reduced saliva production was a menopausal symptom or that increased tooth decay and gum disease, jawbone density, tooth loss, and receding gums had anything to do with menopause or hormones.
Even the appearance of your teeth and smile can be affected. Among women surveyed, 79 percent said they’d noticed a change in the appearance of their smile as they age.
If you, your family, or friends need dental care, we would be honored to provide you with state-of-the-art dental care in our modern dental practice. Refer someone you love to someone you trust!
Presented as a service to the community by Doctors Hoover and Yanda,
39 Milford Drive, Hudson, Ohio 44236. 330-650-0360.
