Relationship between periodontal disease and hormonal changes during menopause

Introduction: periodontal disease is a complex pathological process of the supporting tissues of the teeth, which develops in a non-linear manner as a result of an imbalance between the microbiota and the immune system. Objective: to argue the relationship between periodontal disease and hormonal changes during menopause. Methods: narrative bibliographic review using the Google Scholar search engine, based on scientific articles published in different digital databases such as: Scielo, Medline, Pubmed, Scopus, digital libraries, as well as information and theoretical content from books and magazines specialized in the subject. The descriptors used for the research were: periodontal disease/menopause, periodontitis/hormonal changes, gingival inflammation. Articles published in Spanish or English and with scientific quality supported by results obtained in qualitative and quantitative studies and systematic reviews were included. Development: Hormonal changes in women increase the likelihood of periodontal disease, experiencing gingival inflammation before menstruation and during ovulation due to a high level of progesterone that blocks the repair of collagen fibers and causes dilation of blood vessels. Estrogen deficiency reduces bone density after menopause, which can culminate in alveolar bone loss and eventually tooth loss. Oral changes in menopause include thinning of the oral mucosa, gingival recession, xerostomia, altered sense of taste, alveolar bone loss, and alveolar ridge resorption. Conclusions: Fluctuations in sex hormones during menopause have been linked to inflammatory changes in the gingiva, hypertrophy, or atrophy