The Impact of Women’s Oral Health on Systemic Health

Oral health is not independent of total health, and systemic health is impacted by oral health. Women’s oral health is greatly affected by their stage of life due to the effects of changing hormone levels on oral tissues during transitions from puberty to menstruation, and in pregnancy, perimenopause, menopause and post menopause. The impact of hormone levels on dental health is significant and long term, with hormone levels altering the relationships between oral disease and the initiation, progression and severity of several chronic diseases. Because of these hormonal fluctuations, women are particularly vulnerable to the impact of tooth loss, alveolar bone loss, periodontal disease, salivary changes, caries, changes in taste sensation and oral discomfort. Each of these oral health problems impact women’s total health. Thus, women need to undertake preventive strategies to maintain dental health throughout their lives in order to lessen the impact of poor dental health on systemic health.