As if being a woman wasn’t already filled with unique health concerns and complications, women are now adding, to these lists of concerns, a complication often associated with the natural hormone cycle, gingivitis. While many women suffer from gingivitis, it is commonly misunderstood how gingivitis may be directly related to hormonal fluctuations and the methods for prevention and treatment of this oral hygiene issue.
Gingivitis can be simply described as a dental or oral health, complication involving the inflammation around the gum line. Most notably, women who suffer from gingivitis will present with symptoms involving red and swollen gums, associated bleeding around the gum line, and may note a greater incidence of complications especially during periods of pre-menstruation (PMS) or menstruation. So, how does gingivitis develop?
As a general rule, gingivitis is directly related to plaque accumulation around the gum line. In women, this oral plaque build up around the gum line and base of the teeth, coupled with increasing levels of progesterone in the period after ovulation and before menstruation, can significantly impact, and increase, the symptoms associated with gingivitis. For many women suffering with gingivitis, the culprit underlying the complications may be increased levels of progesterone and not the direct result of a significant dental complication. Let’s examine the basis on which progesterone may impact the development of gingivitis.
Progesterone, the female hormone associated with ovulation and fertility, increases, slowly, during the period following ovulation. This period generally occurs about 15 to 21 days following the first date of the last menstrual period. For women, this natural increase in progesterone prepares the uterus and female body for the implantation of a fertilized egg and, subsequently, a developing fetus. When the egg is not fertilized during ovulation, the natural progesterone levels slowly begin to drop in the days following ovulation, leading up to menstruation at about 28 days post onset of the last menstrual period.
It is during the peak time following ovulation, when progesterone levels are at their greatest that gingivitis symptoms may be most notable. With progesterone levels peaking, in anticipation of pregnancy, specific areas of the body begin to experience greater blood flow than others; a woman’s oral gum line is one such area. It is during the period following peaked progesterone levels, as the days to menstruation approach and progesterone levels begin to drop, that women often find the gum line is increasingly sensitive and tends to bleed easier due to this excess blood flow to the oral area.
For women who experience pre-menstrual, or menstrual, gingivitis, controlling blood loss and reducing inflammation are the primary lines of defense. Using anti-inflammatories and soft tooth brushes will work to ensure proper oral health is maintained during these few days of oral gum line inflammation. Additionally, women should seek out dental examination and treatment in cases where inflammation and gum pain and bleeding persist for periods beyond the PMS or menstruation cycle as the bleeding around the gum line may indicate a more significant complication associated with gingivitis and, without appropriate treatment, may lead to development of periodontitis in which the gum line begins to separate from the tooth leading to pocket development and further aggravation of bacterial infections.
In addition to methods for reducing inflammation, women can reduce the risks of gingivitis through common preventative health measures. Such health measures include proper diet, including an intake of vitamin E and vitamin C supplement daily, reducing stress through proper exercise and also avoid smoking and uses of tobacco products. By following these simply methods of natural prevention, the complications associated with gingivitis, overall, will be greatly reduced, especially during the PMS or menstruation cycle.
