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Oral discomfort at menopause.
R W Wardrop1, J Hailes, H Burger
1Department of Dental Medicine and Surgery, University of Melbourne, Victoria, Australia.
Oral Surgery, Oral Medicine, and Oral Pathology
|May 1, 1989
Summary
Oral discomfort is common during menopause, affecting 43% of women. Hormone replacement therapy often relieves this symptom, even when no clear oral abnormalities are present.
Area of Science:
- Gynecology
- Oral Medicine
- Endocrinology
Background:
- Menopause is associated with various physiological changes.
- Oral discomfort symptoms are frequently reported by women during menopause.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the relationship between oral discomfort and menopause.
- To assess the prevalence and characteristics of oral discomfort in premenopausal, menopausal, and hormone replacement therapy-treated menopausal women.
Main Methods:
- A study involving 149 women divided into three groups: premenopausal, untreated menopausal, and treated menopausal.
- Assessment included questionnaires, general medical evaluation, psychological and oral examinations, and blood tests (hormone levels, vitamins, iron).
Main Results:
- Oral discomfort prevalence was significantly higher in menopausal women (43%) compared to premenopausal women (6%).
- A notable percentage (33%) of treated menopausal women reported oral discomfort without identifiable organic causes.
- Oral discomfort showed an association with psychological symptoms in menopausal women.
Conclusions:
- Oral discomfort is a common, often asymptomatic, manifestation of menopause.
- Hormone replacement therapy frequently resolves oral discomfort in menopausal women, even in the absence of clinical oral signs.