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What’s Different About Women’s Oral Health?

Live Life Smiling

womens-teeth
  • Holmes and Palmer Orthodontics
  • January 6, 2021

 

HEALTH CONCERNS CAN BE a lot different for women than for men, and that even includes dental health! Women face a different set of challenges than men do in caring for their teeth and gums, as well as having different advantages.

Which Oral Health Conditions Are More Common for Women?

Did you know that 90% of people diagnosed with temporomandibular joint disorder (TMD) are women? TMD is chronic pain or soreness in the joints of the jaw. It’s typically caused by bruxism (teeth grinding), but joint structure, stress, arthritis, vitamin deficiency, or hormones could also be responsible.

Another condition women are more likely to be affected by than men is Sjörgen’s syndrome, an autoimmune disorder in which the immune system mistakenly attacks parts of the body, particularly salivary glands and tear ducts, causing both dry mouth and dry eye. In addition to making chewing and swallowing difficult and uncomfortable and interfering with the sense of taste, dry mouth is dangerous to oral health.

Hormonal Changes Can Affect Teeth

Puberty, pregnancy, and menopause all come with major hormonal changes that can impact oral health. Gingivitis and gum inflammation are more common during puberty and pregnancy, which makes good daily dental health habits like brushing and flossing even more important under these conditions.

Menopause is associated with a higher incidence of dry mouth and bone loss in the jaw. This bone loss can compromise the gum tissue and the roots of teeth, which is why it’s important to discuss it with the dentist (preferably before any symptoms have even begun).

Eating Disorders Are a Serious Oral Health Problem

Women aren’t the only ones who struggle with eating disorders, but they are certainly twice as common among teenage girls as teenage boys. Eating disorders are incredibly dangerous and damage every system in the body, including teeth and gums. It’s a two-pronged attack on oral health: malnutrition weakens the oral tissues and the immune system while acid erosion (in the case of bulimia) destroys tooth enamel.

We encourage anyone struggling with an eating disorder to seek psychiatric help so that they can begin the mental recovery process. The dental health recovery process will likely require help in the form of a rigorous dental hygiene routine and professional attention from the dentist.

The Dentist Is the Expert on Women’s Oral Health

With all these risk factors women face in keeping their teeth and gums healthy, are there really any up-sides? Yes, actually, and it’s a big one. Women tend to be better than men at taking care of their teeth! Women are more likely to maintain good oral health habits, and they’re also better at keeping up with their regular dental exams and getting the dentist’s help when they experience tooth pain (as opposed to trying to tough it out), so even if they are more susceptible to certain problems, the impact is reduced!

We love working with our female patients!

Top image used under CC0 Public Domain license. Image cropped and modified from original.
The content on this blog is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of qualified health providers with questions you may have regarding medical conditions.

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Patient reviews

EVERY SMILE TELLS A SPECIAL STORY

We are thankful for the opportunity to serve our community with excellent care and take pride in our mission of having a patient-centered philosophy. Check out what our patients are saying about us!

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Jane E.
It isn't always easy to find providers that are especially patient and kind to patients with special needs. This group ALWAYS go out of their way to make us feel welcome and comfortable. The staff is wonderful! We are extremely blessed to have the orthodontic care we need from this business.
Jane E.
It isn't always easy to find providers that are especially patient and kind to patients with special needs. This group ALWAYS go out of their way to make us feel welcome and comfortable. The staff is wonderful! We are extremely blessed to have the orthodontic care we need from this business.
Legacy S.
Today at Drs Holmes and Palmer my Granddaughter ,Legacy Spurlock , had her braces put on.
I am so happy we Chose them. Not only was the Young lady, putting the braces on very nice That made Legacyy feel very comfortable and answered every question that she asked, and she asked a lot.
We are home now. She doesn’t need anything for pain, She is very proud of her Yes braces and her experience she had.
Thank you to every one that made her experience. One she will always remember.
Legacy S.
Today at Drs Holmes and Palmer my Granddaughter ,Legacy Spurlock , had her braces put on.
I am so happy we Chose them. Not only was the Young lady, putting the braces on very nice That made Legacyy feel very comfortable and answered every question that she asked, and she asked a lot.
We are home now. She doesn’t need anything for pain, She is very proud of her Yes braces and her experience she had.
Thank you to every one that made her experience. One she will always remember.
Staci A.
Very friendly and experienced. Awesome with kids! My son, Evan is 9 and was a little nervous for his first orthodontist consult appointment. They worked well showing and explaining everything they were getting ready to do. Even let him “help” some!! He has a follow up in 6 months to see if it’s time for his braces then. He’s not as worried about his next appointment now. Highly recommend!! Thank you!
Staci A.
Very friendly and experienced. Awesome with kids! My son, Evan is 9 and was a little nervous for his first orthodontist consult appointment. They worked well showing and explaining everything they were getting ready to do. Even let him “help” some!! He has a follow up in 6 months to see if it’s time for his braces then. He’s not as worried about his next appointment now. Highly recommend!! Thank you!
Jessie P.
They are very nice and friendly and such wonderful place would definitely recommend.
Jessie P.
They are very nice and friendly and such wonderful place would definitely recommend.
Amanda “ManDee” T.
This Orthodontist and the employees are amazing. They're very patient and kind with the young patients... I highly recommend!!!!
Amanda “ManDee” T.
This Orthodontist and the employees are amazing. They're very patient and kind with the young patients... I highly recommend!!!!
kristen W.
This is our first experience with orthodontics and we are very pleased with the service and friendliness of staff! They are so helpful and welcoming! Definitely recommend to my friends and family!
kristen W.
This is our first experience with orthodontics and we are very pleased with the service and friendliness of staff! They are so helpful and welcoming! Definitely recommend to my friends and family!
Andrea H.
Great customer service as always! The ladies at the front desk are always welcoming and very friendly. We appreciate the promptness of getting our daughter in for an emergency visit!
Andrea H.
Great customer service as always! The ladies at the front desk are always welcoming and very friendly. We appreciate the promptness of getting our daughter in for an emergency visit!
Emily B.
They are awesome with my girl and offer brace bucks! Great reinforcement and amazing people! 😊
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