The effects of menopause on oral health are largely unknown. The main symptoms are increased sensitivity, the appearance of cavities, or dry mouth syndrome, although other problems may manifest at this stage. Although it is common for women experiencing menopause to suffer alterations in the mouth, we find that today there is a great lack of knowledge about it and even some stigmatization on the subject.
At Clínica Bajo today, we want to echo the report “Oral health and menopause” published by Delta Dental in 2023, which reveals truly curious data on the impact of menopause on oral health and the perception that exists in this regard.
A high percentage of women are unaware of the effects of menopause on oral health
According to this report, 84% of women over 50 are unaware that some of the symptoms mentioned above may be related to menopause. This translates to the fact that most of them do not know that they can go to the dentist to help them address these discomforts. So much so, that 70% of the women over 50 surveyed indicated that they had experienced at least one symptom that affected oral health, but only 2% went to the specialist.
The lack of information surrounding menopause and its symptoms has generated this situation: a lack of knowledge about all the symptoms that can be suffered and that are related to the hormonal changes typical of menopause.
In percentages, we can extract the following data on the most common symptoms at this stage: 39% claim to have suffered from dry mouth syndrome, 30% receding gums, 28% pain and increased dental sensitivity, 20% dental caries, 16% bleeding gums, 13% change in taste, 13% reduction in saliva production, and 5% burning tongue syndrome.
From Clínica Bajo, we encourage all women to ask professionals about the effects of menopause on oral health, as in many cases there are treatments that can prevent complications and improve quality of life.
