Objectives: The onset of menopause has been linked to increased occurrences of medical conditions such as xerostomia and burning mouth syndrome (BMS). The study sought to investigate the implications of menopause on oral and systemic health. The research also factors in the changes associated with hormonal fluctuations, and the effects on the individual’s mental status.
Methods: The study surveyed personal health status information from ninety-seven female dental officers between 40 and 59 years. The participants were offered a questionnaire which designated them in pre-menopause, active menopause, or post-menopause categories based on their individual evaluation of their menstrual conditions. The evaluation was then based on five factors defining the participant’s objective holistic oral statuses: α-amylase, salivary flow rate, serum 17β-estradiol, taste sensitivity, and secretory IgA (SIgA).
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Results: The three categories indicated substantially unique patterns regarding the depression score (SRQ-D) on the questionnaire. Other factors that displayed divergent results across the groups are serum E2 level and unstimulated salivary flow rate. While unstimulated salivary flow rates varied positively with serum E2 levels, SRQ-D scores and α-amylase activity exhibited a negative variation with serum levels. However, the taste threshold, salivary α-amylase activity, simplified menopausal index, General Oral Health Index, and Short-Form 36-Item Health Survey outcomes showed no disparities across the three categories.
Conclusions: Inferring from the negative correlation between SRQ-D scores and E2 levels, the study suggested that E2 levels have the potential to impact one’s psychological condition. Essentially, serum E2 level decline could cause oral medical conditions such as xerostomia due to reduced salivary secretion. Given that the study participants are well-informed graduate dental hygienists working in diverse settings, the outcomes of this study can be considered credible. Arguably, the credibility of the conclusions makes it conceivable to generalize the findings to the broader Japanese dental hygienists.
Keywords
Oral Health, Holistic Health, Xerostomia, Menopause, Dental Hygienist
