Oral manifestations of menopause

Abstract

Oral health is an integral part of general health. Menopausal period has an important role in the reproductive life of a woman and gives rise to many physical and mental problems. The oral manifestations may vary for each patient in the form of burning mouth syndrome, xerostomia, mucosal changes, neurological disorders, osteoporosis, periodontitis, and eating disorders. As is the case in many developing countries like India, it is difficult for women to obtain access to healthcare services, as a result of a dearth of trained health care professionals at the grass root level and the specialized sector. It is the dentist′s responsibility to treat them with care and refer postmenopausal women to a gynecologist for medical intervention, if necessary. This review attempts to provide an insight into the oral manifestations of menopause. Various internet based popular search engines were used to explore data from literature, which includes PubMed, PubMed Central, Google Scholar, Medknow, and Science Direct. Search was made using the key-word combinations "menopause"; and "oral manifestations" were used. The search was limited to reviews, meta-analyses and assorted clinical reports were retrieved and evaluated. A total of 40 publications were evaluated for this article.