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Oral complaints related to menopause
H Ben Aryeh1, I Gottlieb, S Ish-Shalom
1Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, Rambam Medical Center, Haifa, Israel.
Maturitas
|July 1, 1996
Summary
Menopausal women frequently experience oral discomfort linked to systemic symptoms. Salivary changes, including higher protein and IgA, suggest stress may impact oral health during menopause.
Area of Science:
- Oral medicine
- Endocrinology
- Salivary diagnostics
Background:
- Menopause is associated with various systemic symptoms.
- Oral health can be affected by hormonal changes during menopause.
- Understanding the relationship between menopause symptoms and oral health is crucial.
Purpose of the Study:
- To correlate oral and systemic symptoms of menopause.
- To assess oral health and salivary composition in menopausal women.
- To investigate salivary flow rates before hormone replacement therapy.
Main Methods:
- 154 menopausal women were divided into two groups based on systemic health and medication.
- Questionnaires assessed general health, oral, and systemic menopausal complaints.
- Oral examinations and analysis of whole resting and stimulated saliva were performed.
Main Results:
- Oral discomfort reported by 45% (Group A) and 60% (Group B) of women.
- Climacteric symptoms reported by 74% (Group A) and 63% (Group B).
- Significantly higher salivary total protein and IgA concentrations compared to young controls.
Conclusions:
- High prevalence of oral discomfort observed in menopausal women attending a clinic.
- Strong association found between systemic and oral complaints of menopause.
- Altered salivary composition may indicate sympathetic activation due to psychological stress.