Hormones can not only alter your weight, your mood... It also influences your oral health.
Increased oestrogen and progesterone cause more blood flow to your gums, which makes us more vulnerable to plaque and bacteria. This causes gums to become inflamed, swollen and bleed. If left untreated, prolonged inflammation of the gums can lead to bone loss around the teeth and eventually to tooth loss.
Attention must be paid at every stage:
Puberty
At puberty, there may be an increase in gum inflammation, gingivitis with reddening and the formation of gingivitis. bleeding gums. This is a time when it is particularly important to follow effective and routine oral hygiene and to have your oral health checked by your dentist or periodontist.
Fertile age
During childbearing age, the right hormone levels play a protective role in gum health. This does not exclude good oral hygiene and visits to the dentist every 6-12 months. If we take oral contraceptivesSome women suffer from symptoms similar to gestational gingivitis due to the hormones involved in contraceptives. If these symptoms last too long, they can damage the tissues surrounding the teeth, so it is advisable to visit the dentist to check the state of the teeth.
Pregnancy
In pregnancy, changes in oestrogen and progesterone levels favour the appearance of gingivitis (inflammation of the gums). This change in hormones affects the gums, the local immune system and bacteria. This cocktail leads to what is known as 'pregnancy gingivitis', a very common problem between the second and eighth month of pregnancy. Pregnant women should take great care of their oral hygiene during this period and visit the dentist regularly, especially if they already suffered from gingivitis before pregnancy, as it increases the possibility of premature birth and complications for the baby.
Menopause
When you enter the menopause, the protective role of oestrogens on the gums is reduced, so they should be closely monitored, with extreme oral hygiene and visits to the dentist or periodontist. It is also associated with increased dry mouthwhich favours the accumulation of bacterial plaque, increasing gingival inflammation and caries.
