Gum Disease Biggest Oral Health Problem for Women

According to a new survey, women dental professionals say that the onset of periodontal disease is the biggest oral health problem for women.

Although the disease affects both men and women, it can cause problems for women more often, especially during hormonal changes in pregnancy and menopause. Estrogen replacement therapies and other menopausal medications can also contribute to gum disease. The use of anti-depressants, diuretics and anti-allergy medications causes a lack of saliva in the mouth, which is a favorable environment for the disease.

The California Dental Association (CDA) also polled its female members on their experiences as women dentists and the kinds of dental procedures that women patients request most.

Most (66%) replied that job fulfillment was the reason they became dentists; job flexibility (58%) was another popular response.

Popular procedures requested by woman patients include: teeth whitening (39%); replacing old fillings with new white composite (31%); and covering teet to fill gaps or cover stained or badly shaped teeth (12%).

According to the American Dental Association (ADA), in 1997 there were 25,251 women dentists in the U.S.