Special Gum Concerns for Women
Did you know that women have special concerns when it comes to gum health? Throughout a woman’s life, hormones fluctuate and cause conditions that can irritate the gums. Even during puberty, it is not uncommon for a girl to gave swollen, tender, reddened gums. This happens in response to irritants like plaque and food particles.
During the child-bearing years, women can have a form of gingivitis that happens as part of the pre-menstrual syndrome. The gums can turn bright red and swollen, and tend to bleed. This condition may also include sores inside the cheeks.
Of course, pregnancy is a special time in life that takes a physical and nutritional toll on a woman. “Pregnancy gingivitis” is the term given to the swollen, tender gums that become noticable in about the third month of pregnancy and can continue to worsen. Sometimes, the gums even grow lumps known as pregnancy tumors.
Pregnant women with gum disease have been found to be as much as seven times more likely to have premature or small babies. And the effect of pregnancy on the gums can allso happen to women on birth control pills.
Finally, during menopause and beyond, women experience changes in oral health. Of course, gum disease tends to be more common in later years anyway. Still, menopausal women often experience a condition called gingiovostomatitis which causes their gums to look shiny and bleed easily. Bone loss is part of osteoporosis, which often develops during these years, but it is also part of gum disease. Research should help determine if treating osteoporosis can help protect the bones around the gums as well.
So what should you do? Brush and floss, what else?!