How Does Menopause Affect Your Teeth?

Your teeth, like many other areas of your body, can be greatly impacted during perimenopause and menopause. Oral Health experts Eileen Durward and Dr. Keely Thorne highlight the possible oral health challenges during menopause and the best oral practices and products to help you navigate this phase.

Eileen Durward, Menopause Advisor (www.avogel.co.uk)

Tooth Decay

Tooth decay can be a big issue. If you think about it, by the time we get to perimenopause and menopause, we've had our teeth for a very long time, and tooth decay is a natural process anyway. But we know that during perimenopause and menopause, with all the hormonal changes going on, it can actually make this whole process more troublesome.

It can be due to your mouth becoming drier, which is a common symptom. We have good bacteria in the mouth (as well as bad), that help to protect our teeth. Your saliva is a sort of antiseptic and helps to destroy any bad bacteria that are in the mouth. So, if you are producing less saliva because your mouth is getting drier, then this can affect the bacterial balance in the mouth. And we know that having a lot of the bad bacteria can be a huge factor in general tooth decay.

Receding Gums

We know too that falling oestrogen levels can affect the mucous membranes of the body, including the inside of the mouth, which can make your gums more sensitive and more vulnerable to recession.

Your gums help to stabilise your teeth, so if your gums start to recede it can make you much more vulnerable to tooth loss and also more susceptible to tooth decay.

Reduced Bone Density

We know too that falling oestrogen levels can affect bone density - not just necessarily the bigger and more important bones in the body such as your legs and arms, but this can also affect your teeth too.

Your teeth can get weaker. They can chip more easily too. And your jawbone itself can start to shrink too, and that can also lead to tooth loss.

Toothache

This is a strange and surprising one! But old injuries can often ache again during perimenopause and menopause. This can include past dental work you've had done, especially things like root canal treatment, crowns or tooth extractions.

So, what can you do to help your teeth during perimenopause and menopause?

Practice good oral hygiene. This is really important! So that's brushing twice a day, flossing, and using natural mouthwash. Your mouth can become much more sensitive at this time, so I recommend using alcohol-free mouthwash. You can also try more natural toothpaste if your mouth is more sensitive.

You can look at a supplement called CoQ10 if you're getting loose or receding gums.

Remember to drink plenty of water to keep those mucous membranes hydrated. And you can use a Sea Buckthorn Oil supplement, which can help ease dry mouth by keeping the membranes in your mouth nice and stabilised.

Eat well too. Avoid sugar and sweetened fizzy drinks because they are really your teeth's enemy.

Go for calcium and magnesium supplements too, just to help with all of the bone-strengthening issues.

Dr Keely Thorne - Principal Dentist at The Dental Barns (@thedentalbarns)

When it comes to protecting your teeth and gums, it is not always the obvious things like fizzy drinks and chocolate that cause the most damage. Some of the foods and drinks people think of as “healthy” can be surprisingly hard on the mouth.

One example is lemon water, especially when sipped first thing in the morning or throughout the day. It may feel like a healthy habit, but the acidity can soften enamel and contribute to acid erosion over time. The same can apply to fruit smoothies, juices, vinegar-based drinks and some wellness drinks. They may be full of nutrients, but they can also be acidic and high in natural sugars.

The key thing is frequency. It is often better for your teeth to have something sugary or acidic in one sitting, rather than grazing or sipping on it over several hours. Every time you eat or drink something sugary or acidic, the pH in your mouth drops, creating a more harmful environment for your teeth. Your mouth then needs time, and saliva, to recover.

A useful habit is to brush before having acidic or sugary foods and drinks, rather than immediately afterwards. Brushing beforehand helps remove the plaque and bacteria that contribute to decay, while brushing straight after acid exposure can be too abrasive because the enamel may be temporarily softened. After eating or drinking, rinsing with water is a simple way to help neutralise the mouth.

Saliva is one of the mouth’s best natural defences, so encouraging saliva flow after meals can be really helpful. Sugar-free chewing gum or mints containing xylitol can support this, as long as they are genuinely sugar-free. Peppersmith (www.peppersmith.co.uk) is a good option for this, as it contains xylitol and is a much better choice than sugary mints or sweets after eating.

It’s important to consult your dentist!

If you are worried about your teeth at all, if you're getting any of these symptoms, it's really important to get everything checked out by your dentist as well. They can also offer lots of good advice on helping to keep your mouth as healthy as possible as you go through perimenopause and menopause.