So you’re in your forties or fifties and experiencing hot flushes, sleeplessness, irritability and weight gain? Welcome to menopause! It’s a natural chapter in a woman’s life, however the symptoms can vary considerably and impact on your quality of life.
Along with the commonly discussed symptoms of menopause, fluctuations in hormones during menopause can also impact on your oral health. This can cause burning sensations in your mouth, altered taste sensations, dry mouth and inflamed, bleeding gums. You may have experienced similar changes during pregnancy, also due to hormonal changes. Lack of estrogen following menopause can also cause bone loss, leading to periodontal disease and tooth loss.
Burning Mouth
Burning mouth syndrome (glossodynia) is a common oral symptom of menopause and peri-menopause, where parts of your mouth experience a spontaneous burning sensation, and may also feel tender or numb. It’s thought that this is due to hormonal changes due to menopause.
Burning mouth syndrome can also affect your sense of taste, with your food tasting bitter, salty, peppery, sour or even metallic. You may also find you’re extra sensitive to hot and cold food and drinks.
Dry Mouth
Dry mouth (xerostomia) is another common oral health issue experienced by women during menopause. Dry mouth occurs when you don’t have enough saliva in your mouth, and this can affect your tasting, chewing, and swallowing of food. It can also affect your speech and increases the risk of tooth decay and periodontal disease.
Frequently sipping water or chewing sugar-free gum can help, and your dentist can also suggest other treatments such as use of artificial salivary substitutes.
Inflamed Gums
Gums are a very sensitive part of your mouth, and menopausal gingivostomatitis can cause inflamed gums, where your gums are swollen and bleed easily. Your dentist can diagnose menopausal gingivostomatitis and prescribe medications to help manage the condition.
It’s very important to identify inflamed gums quickly, as gingivostomatitis can cause periodontitis, an inflammation of the supporting tissues of the teeth. Left unchecked, periodontitis causes progressive and irreversible loss of bone, and loose or separating teeth
Bone Loss
We all lose bone as we age, and lack of estrogen following menopause often results in bone loss or osteoporosis. You may commonly think of osteoporosis as affecting the back, hips or limbs, however it also affects bones in the jaw. This can cause periodontal disease, receding gums, loose teeth, and tooth loss.
Visiting your dentist regularly throughout your menopause can help you manage these conditions, and your GP can also help you to find the most effective way to manage other symptoms and help you to get the most out of life following menopause.
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