What Hormone Changes have to do with your Gums

Categories: Gum Disease

hormones and gumsSCOTTS VALLEY, SANTA CRUZ, CA

Your gum health is affected by your diet, oral hygiene habits, and hormonal changes. Understanding your oral health condition and how it relates to hormone changes can help reduce your gingivitis risk, gum disease’s earliest stage. Scott Valley’s oral health experts at Ebrahimian Integrative Dentistry share how hormone fluctuations relate to gum health and how to ensure you keep your gums in tiptop shape.

Linking Hormone Changes and Gingivitis

Hormones can fluctuate, especially for females, due to many causes, most commonly puberty and pregnancy. However, women who menstruate, are going through menopause, or who take hormone-based birth control pills may encounter gum changes or gum disease. Changing hormones can affect the gums’ blood supply and your body’s ability to fight harmful toxins and bacteria linked to plaque and tartar buildup. Our family dentists in Los Gatos understand that hormone control may not be possible, but your proactive steps may help prevent gingivitis and advanced gum disease.

Gingivitis Prevention

The first gum disease stage is gingivitis, caused by inflammation from harmful bacteria. Most patients have gums that are red or bleeding, while some don’t experience gingivitis symptoms. Therefore, regular visits to our Santa Cruz dental office can help monitor your oral health and detect gum disease during the early stages. Gum disease is treatable during the early stages and typically doesn’t cause permanent damage. However, progressive gum disease can cause irreversible damage to underlying supportive tissues and may result in tooth loss if not treated.

Taking control of your oral health is the first step in gingivitis prevention. You can help prevent gingivitis by consuming a healthy diet, avoid smoking, and brush twice a day, and floss daily. Next, please schedule a consultation with one of our Scotts Valley family dentists for a comprehensive oral exam to determine your gum disease condition and receive a professional cleaning. Then, our dentists can design the best treatment process to address your gum health. However, establishing a daily oral health care routine that includes daily brushing and flossing to maintain good oral health. In addition, regularly visiting the dentist every six months for a checkup and cleaning can help catch developing problems and begin early treatment.

Gingivitis Treatment

Regular at-home oral care and dental visits to our Los Gatos dental office can help you reverse early-stage gum disease. However, depending on your condition and gum disease progression, more in-depth or long-term treatment is available to manage your condition. Unfortunately, once gum disease advances, it can cause permanent damage to your gums, teeth, and jawbone. Therefore, contact Ebrahimian Integrative Dentistry to schedule an exam and take the first step in protecting your oral and overall health.

Los Gatos, Santa Cruz, and Scotts Valley, California

Even though your body may go through hormonal changes and affect your oral health, there are some preventative measures you can take to ease the severity of a gum disease condition. With intentional oral care, monitoring from a board-certified dentist in Santa Cruz, and accepting necessary treatments, you can manage your gum disease condition. To find out more about gum disease effects or to schedule an appointment with our friendly dentists at Ebrahimian Integrative Dentistry, feel free to call (831) 438-4411 or contact us online today.