Majority of Women 50 and Older Unaware of Menopause-Oral Health Connection

USA: In a recent revelation, Delta Dental’s 2023 Senior Oral Health and Menopause Report highlighted a significant knowledge gap among women aged 50 and over regarding the potential oral health symptoms related to menopause. The report revealed that a staggering 84% of these women are unaware that some of the oral health symptoms and discomfort they experience could be attributed to menopause.

Furthermore, the survey findings indicated that women undergoing menopause are largely unaware of how dental providers can assist in addressing these symptoms and suggesting appropriate treatments. While 70% of women in this age group reported experiencing at least one oral health symptom since the onset of menopausal symptoms, only 2% of them have discussed these concerns with their dentists, and a mere 1% with their dental hygienists.

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Breaking the Stigma

Delta Dental’s President, Sarah Chavarria, emphasised the significance of these findings, stating, “With menopause a long-stigmatised topic and symptoms going largely unaddressed or even ignored, these findings are stark but unsurprising.” She also noted that shifts in attitudes toward menopause are beginning to emerge, with women increasingly eager to break the stigma surrounding this phase of life.

Chavarria stated, “At Delta Dental, we are committed to empowering more whole-person care that incorporates oral health into overall physician care and wellbeing, including in menopause. Being more open will help make treatment plans more accessible for all people who experience menopause.”

Of the over 1,000 women surveyed, 70% who had started experiencing menopausal symptoms reported noticing at least one oral health symptom. These included dry mouth (39%), receding gumlines (30%), tooth sensitivity or pain (28%), tooth decay (20%), bleeding gums (16%), altered taste (13%), reduced saliva production (13%), or burning tongue (5%). However, most did not associate these symptoms with hormonal changes.

Key Unawareness Points

The report highlighted several key areas where awareness was lacking:

• Dry Mouth: Despite 39% experiencing dry mouth, 77% were unaware of its potential connection to menopause.
• Reduced Saliva Production: A whopping 90% were unaware of this symptom’s association with menopause.
• Increased Tooth Decay: 88% were oblivious to its link to menopause.
• Increased Risk of Gum Disease: 87% were unaware.
• Jawbone Density: 87% had no knowledge of this connection.
• Tooth Loss: 85% were uninformed.
• Receding Gum Lines: 83% had no idea of the association.

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Shift Towards Learning and Action

Despite these knowledge gaps, almost half of women aged 50 and older expressed curiosity about how menopause and hormonal changes impact oral health as they age. After learning about the connection between menopause and oral health care, respondents indicated their willingness to make changes:

• 77% said they would prioritize scheduling their next dental exam/cleaning.
• 43% stated they would invest significantly more time in their oral health care routine.

The report underscored the untapped potential of dentists and dental hygienists in assisting women navigating menopause. A significant portion of surveyed women believed that healthcare providers should offer more information about the link between menopause and overall health (84%) and encourage women to ask questions about menopause (39%).

Bridging the Care Gap

Dr. Jessica Buehler, Senior Director of Dental Affairs at Delta Dental, highlighted the care gap, stating, “That’s a care gap with extensive repercussions – saliva is the natural buffer of your mouth, and less saliva means less protection against dry mouth, which is at the crux of all other oral health symptoms related to menopause, like burning tongue, increased tooth decay, and altered taste.”

Dr. Buehler urged women to “share the oral health changes that you are experiencing with your dentist or dental hygienist” and emphasized the importance of open conversations with healthcare providers about oral health symptoms.

Dr. Daniel Croley, Chief Dental Officer at Delta Dental, called upon dentists to take proactive steps in supporting patients approaching or experiencing menopause. He stated, “We can help ease the burden and break the stigma by creating space for these conversations.”

About Delta Dental

Delta Dental, a trusted name in oral health care since 1955, has provided comprehensive, high-quality oral health coverage to millions of enrollees. The Delta Dental of California enterprise, including its affiliates, serves over 45 million people across 15 states and the District of Columbia. Delta Dental is dedicated to ensuring access to quality oral health care.

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