Postmenopausal women experience 'significantly higher' levels of tooth loss

There are a number of key stages in a woman's life where oral health messages become even more crucial.

One of these is after experiencing the menopause, where women typically suffer from higher levels of dental problems such as tooth loss.

According to a new study, women who have gone through the menopause are also more likely to experience gum disease (periodontitis). 

The research also revealed connections between the emotional and physical wellbeing of women and early tooth loss.

Correlation

For example, when comparing the oral health and wellbeing of post and premenopausal women, the research suggested:

• Tooth loss was ‘significantly higher’ in premenopausal women after adjusting for age
• No significant difference in periodontitis
• Prevalence of periodontitis linked to fewer daily tooth brushing sessions in postmenopausal women
• All participants with periodontitis rated higher for ‘depressed mood’ than those without
• Women carrying out fewer daily tooth brushing sessions ranked higher for depressive mood.

The study came to conclusions that there was a link between the menopause, the number of missing teeth and poor emotional wellbeing.

Additionally, it stated that women with a medical history of periodontitis may be more likely to experience emotional problems. The same applied for women experiencing depressive moods.

How did researchers come to this conclusion?

The study saw more than 100 women undergo a comprehensive medical assessment, as well as a full mouth oral examination.

They also filled out the Women’s Health Questionnaire (WHQ) to detail their emotional and physical wellbeing.

Finally, researchers extracted participants’ bone mineral density (BMD) scores from their medical records.

Published in BMC Women's Health, you can read the full study here.