Menopause and oral health

Abstract

At menopause, a woman's body undergoes radical hormonal changes, which predisposes to damage of the oral cavity. The onset of menopause is a series of morpho functional physiological adaptive changes with systemic and oral action in women. Oral health is closely related to dental hygiene, a major concern in menopause. The addressability of women to dental services tends to increase due to perimenopausal changes that occur in the gums and teeth and the oral microbiome. These changes have a hormonal substrate that significantly influences the evolution of oral health. The purpose of this review is to understand the occurrence and evolution of oro-dental complications in menopause and the systematization of therapeutic regimens. The PubMed and Web Of Science databases searched identified approximately 21 eligible articles. Periodontal damage is the most common, followed by dryness and burning sensation in the mouth. The role of hormone replacement therapy is controversial in terms of prophylaxis or the obvious therapeutic aspect of menopausal women with oral symptoms. The lack of extensive research, at least for the time being, does not establish clear therapeutic protocols to resolve these dental conditions.