Hormonal therapy protects the bones but also the teeth. Menopausal women treated are 44% less affected by periodontitis.
Hormones to help teeth. Hormonal therapy for menopause may be helpful in preventing dental complications in women who have passed this stage. Posted in Menopause, a study observes that gum disease is less common in women on estrogen.
When the last period approaches, the levels of these female hormones drop. Female protection against a whole set of pathologies then disappears. Hormonal therapy helps prevent certain cardiovascular disorders and maintains bone health. But in view of this work, the teeth are also at high risk.
Researchers at the Federal University of Bahia (Brazil) followed 492 postmenopausal women, including 113 under hormonal therapy – with or without calcium and vitamin D supplementation – and measured the bone density of their jaw.
44% fewer cases
“Osteoporosis can occur throughout the body, including the jawbone, and increases the risk of periodontal disease,” says Dr. JoAnn Pinkerton, executive director of the North American Menopause Society. And for good reason: teeth take their root in the jaw.
Hormonal therapy, with estrogen alone, is associated with a reduced risk of dental complications. In the treated group, 44% less severe periodontitis is observed. This disease is characterized by inflammation of the tissues that surround and support the teeth. Fewer cases means less inflammation, less bleeding and therefore less danger of losing teeth.
“This study shows that estrogen therapy, which has been shown to be effective in preventing bone loss, can also prevent worsening tooth and gum disease,” says Dr. JoAnn Pinkerton. The specialist therefore urges women exposed to low estrogen levels or undergoing treatment for osteoporosis to pay particular attention to their teeth.
Periodontitis: a sign of undiagnosed diabetes?
Damaged gums could be a sign of undiagnosed diabetes. This is what a study by the University of Amsterdam (Netherlands), published in the BMJ Open Diabetes Research & Care. The researchers analyzed the profile of 313 people who visited the dental clinic, 204 of whom suffered from periodontitis.
Other than weight, the risk factors were similar among the participants. In contrast, those with periodontitis more often had a diabetic loved one. Likewise, the proportion of people with diabetes varies from one to two between the group with healthy teeth and the one most severely affected. The latter also had a higher glycated hemoglobin level. The diagnosis was correct: 8.5% of participants had diabetes, so far not spotted, against 18% in the group of the most severe cases.
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