How does menopause affect dental health?

We usually associate menopause with hot flashes, fatigue, night sweats, headaches, mood swings, sleep disorders, loss of bone density, difficulty concentrating…, but rarely with oral health.

Can a link be established between menopause and teeth? How can this period of hormonal upheaval impact the teeth? What about hormone therapy? It is to these questions that Nutrident.fr tries to answer in this section.

Osteoporosis: a condition that affects the bones of the body, including the jaw

Women between the ages of 45 and 55 experience a sharp drop in their estrogen levels during menopause . The protection they have against many pathologies disappears at the same time as this pivotal period appears.

They become more vulnerable to several health problems, including loss of bone mineral density which can lead to osteoporosis.

The latter has the effect of weakening the bones in general, but also those of the jaw, which can cause negative changes in oral health – teeth, it should be remembered, are implanted from the jaw – and increase the risk of periodontal disease.

Periodontitis is a disease characterized by an inflammation of the tissues surrounding and supporting the teeth. All the conditions are then met to cause the loosening.

Hormonal therapy for better periodontal health

Estrogen therapy, which has been shown to be effective in preventing bone loss, may also play a significant role in maintaining healthy teeth and gums and in preventing periodontitis.

At least that's what a recent study led by Dr. Joann Pinkerton, executive director of the North American Menopause Society, found.

This study involved 492 Brazilian postmenopausal women, ranging in age from 50 to 87 years. One hundred thirteen were being treated for osteoporosis and 379 were not.

Treatment consisted of both estrogen alone and estrogen plus progestin, plus vitamin D and calcium supplementation, for a minimum of six months.

The scientists followed these women to assess as accurately as possible the effects of the osteoporosis treatment they had been given and its impact on increasing bone mineral density in the jaw.

Was this treatment able to improve overall oral health?

By measuring the bone density of their jaws, the researchers found that the prevalence of severe periodontitis decreased by 44% in the participants treated for osteoporosis compared with the untreated group.

Uncertainty persists, but all hopes are justified

Due to the lack of homogeneity in the treatments and the small number of women treated, the researchers believe that it is difficult at this time to affirm with certainty that the treatment of osteoporosis allows postmenopausal women to improve their oral health.

However, it is possible, they say, to argue that it could make a significant contribution. The link between menopause and teeth is undeniable.

Health professionals encourage women to check their vulnerability to osteoporosis. This is of course to prevent the risk of fractures, but also to limit the risk of periodontitis and early tooth loss.

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