[Click! Health] "Menopausal Women Should Beware of Periodontitis"

Menopausal women were found to have a higher likelihood of developing periodontitis compared to premenopausal women. Periodontitis is a disease in which inflammation of the tissues surrounding the teeth leads to the destruction of the bone that supports the gums and teeth.

Tooth image

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Professor Eun-Kyung Bang's research team from the Department of Periodontology at Ewha Mokdong Hospital recently published a study titled "Association between Menopause, Hormone Replacement Therapy, and Periodontitis in a Hospital Cohort Study Using a Common Data Model" in the international dental journal JPIS (Journal of Periodontal & Implant Science).

Professor Eun-Kyung Bang and resident Ki-Yeol Park analyzed the incidence of periodontitis through up to 20 years of cohort follow-up among 29,729 patients who visited the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology at Ewha Mokdong Hospital from 2001 to 2020. They also converted the hospital’s data into a common data model for analysis.

The analysis showed that periodontitis occurred in 4.14% of premenopausal women, whereas 6.25% of postmenopausal women who did not receive hormone replacement therapy (HRT) and 6.21% of postmenopausal women who received hormone therapy developed periodontitis. This indicates that more cases of periodontitis occurred among menopausal women.

Furthermore, after conducting an in-depth analysis considering treated body mass index (BMI), which could affect the occurrence of periodontitis, the risk of periodontitis was observed to be 2.915 times higher in postmenopausal women who did not receive hormone therapy compared to premenopausal women, and 1.543 times higher in women who received hormone therapy.

Professor Eun-Kyung Bang stated, "The risk of periodontitis was higher in menopausal women compared to premenopausal women, and among menopausal women, those who received hormone therapy showed a lower risk of periodontitis than those who did not." She added, "Menopausal women, as well as those undergoing hormone therapy to alleviate menopausal symptoms, should visit a dental clinic in advance to check for the presence of periodontitis, and by receiving appropriate periodontal treatment accordingly, they can prevent the future occurrence of periodontitis."

Professor Bang Eun-kyung

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