THE WORLD recently celebrated International Women’s Day. Although no one would seriously deny that there are fundamental distinctions between human males and females, only now there is an increasing awareness that gender differences affect both health and disease. There is a clear difference in women as dental patients when compared to men. A few years ago in the United States, a special symposium was held with the main objective being to generate interest in putting forward a national research agenda on women’s oral health.

Despite the fact that women show higher anxiety levels about dental treatment than men, this may only deter some of them from attending for dental care. Females tend to visit the dentist more frequently, and are more likely to seek preventive dental care than men. They respond better to dental education, as they tend to have a more positive attitude to prevention.

Studies show that women are less likely to have the roots of their teeth decayed, while this is common in men. Because they brush their teeth more frequently than men, they have less gingivitis and periodontal disease. But females tend to complain more of pain than males.

Women using birth control pills (oral contraceptives) are twice as likely to have an extraction that does not heal well. Gum disease may occur with long-term use of birth control pills. Hormonal changes can cause increased tenderness, swelling, and bleeding of your gums when you brush your teeth. Pregnant women have varying hormone levels. The changing hormones can cause red, swollen gums that easily bleed. In addition, these changes in levels of oestrogen and progesterone can result in oral changes, and have traditionally been considered to be pregnancy granuloma and dental caries. The acid from consistently vomiting (‘morning sickness’), which some women experience during pregnancy, can contribute to tooth decay by wearing down the teeth.

To remedy this, women should rinse their mouths with baking soda mixed in water in order to neutralize the stomach acids.  One of the most common occurrences in pregnant women is the appearance of a red, fleshy growth on the gum, especially between two teeth. A notable feature is that this tumor bleeds easily.

There are many drugs used in dentistry which should not be used in pregnancy. Some of them are excreted in breast milk and must be avoided. Aspirin, for example, should not be used by pregnant women because it may cause Reye’s syndrome, and impairs platelet function resulting in prolonged bleeding. Drugs like tetracycline cause tooth discolouration; general anesthesia depresses the respiration of the unborn child; and neuralgia can cause congenital malformation.

The major point to remember is that unless it is really necessary, no drug should be used by a pregnant woman between the eleventh and fourteenth week of gestation. During this period, the foetus is in a very critical stage of maturation, and certain agents such as drugs, X-rays, tobacco smoke etc. can easily disrupt or alter the normal developmental process.

There is a condition called Sjogrens Syndrome, of which 90 per cent of the victims are women between 40 and 55 years old. The disease consists of a combination of dry eyes, dry mouth and arthritis. The dry mouth results in difficulty swallowing food, problems wearing dentures, change in taste, increased tooth decay, and a burning sensation in the mouth among other symptoms.

Menopausal women can experience dry mouth and gingivitis. The dry mouth can also be caused by various medications, such as anti-depressants and diet pills, which are taken mostly by women.

There are many other diseases which have an inclination to attack mainly women. These include anorexia nervosa (chronic loss of appetite), bulima (incessant desire to eat), atypical facial pain, and burning-mouth syndrome.

Nausea or hypoglycemia (low blood-sugar) sometimes requires eating between-meal snacks that can cause tooth decay. The remedy is to avoid sugary and sticky foods; snack on foods such as vegetables, fruits, and cheese, and brush your teeth after snacking.