Taking care of your oral health is important for both the genders but women are more vulnerable to oral and dental problems.
There are various factors which can affect women health as well as their oral health. Due to the fluctuation of hormones, they are more prone to oral problems. Let’s discuss how different stages of women’s life can affect their oral health, and how they can take care of their dental health.
Puberty: Girls hit puberty at the age of 8 to 14 and that is the time when the fluctuation of the hormones occurs. Hormones like estrogens and progesterone get fluctuated that results in increased blood flow in the gum which can cause swollen, redness and tenderness in gums.
If there is a girl in your family, who fall in this age group and experiences the above symptoms then it is normal. You can encourage her to take care of her oral health by brushing and flossing her teeth.
Menstruation: This is the time when women face hormone fluctuation and they can experience pain, swollen and redness in their gums while brushing or flossing their teeth. Many women experience bad mouth odour and dry mouth due to loss of saliva.
If you are experiencing such symptoms then you can rinse your teeth with a non-alcoholic mouth wash once in a day. If you are planning to schedule your visit to your family dentist then the best time is after a week of your periods. This is the safest time when your dentist can do an in-depth check-up of your teeth and gums. Cleaning of gums and teeth is also painful during the menstrual cycle or before a week of your cycle.
Pregnancy: Pregnancy is the time when a woman is at a higher risk to get affected by various diseases. In past women were discouraged to visit a dentist during pregnancy but now it is suggested that a pregnant woman should visit a dentist during her pregnancy to check her teeth and gums. If you already had any oral health issue before pregnancy then it is must for you to visit the dentist. It is suggested that a woman need to visit between four to six month as this is considered the most favourable of pregnancy.
Menopause: Till now you have understood that women are more vulnerable to the dental problems due to the certain increase or decrease of the hormone. During menopause, the estrogen level decreases rapidly which can cause bone loss. Women need to depend on the health supplements like calcium and vitamin D as due to menopause they face the deficiency of certain vitamins which are essential for healthy bones and teeth.
How women can take care of their oral health?
So it is clear that women need to combat more to oral health no matter how better they take care of their teeth and gums as compared to men, their hormones are working against them. But, still, there are few things which can help you to fight oral problems.
- Pay attention towards your teeth and gums and if you feel any redness, swollen, and pain then consult your family dentist.
- Brush your teeth twice a day and floss at least once a day to prevent them from plaque decaying.
- If you are taking any medicines for any disease then inform your dentist about it as well as if you are feeling something different in your oral health.
- Avoid eating sweetened drinks and food at night.
- Having a healthy and balanced diet is the key to keep all the health issue at the bay. To avoid any deficiency and bone loss, eat a healthy and balanced diet.
