title: Distinguishing Mars from Venus: emergence of gender biology differences in oral health and systemic disease.
abstract: We are learning to appreciate and understand that men and women have different genes and gene products (proteins), biochemistry and physiology, body weights and distribution of fats, and a few different tissues and organs. In such comparisons, we discover that women have a different prevalence for many oral and systemic diseases and disorders, and often illustrate differences in responses to disease mechanisms as well as to drug therapy and treatments. For example, consider the milestones of development, such as puberty or menopause, the unique differences in the prevalence of autoimmune diseases and disorders (Sjögren's syndrome, Hashimoto's disease), differences in the onset and progression of osteoporosis and osteoarthritis, differences in response to radiation and chemotherapy, and the differences in chronic facial pain, chronic fatigue syndrome, and fibromyalgia. This article highlights many opportunities to enhance the quality of oral health care for women.
authors.affiliation: School of Dentistry, University of Southern California Los Angeles, California, USA.
authors.forename: Harold C
authors.initials: HC
authors.lastname: Slavkin
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001327:Autoimmune Diseases / Q000503:physiopathology; D001695:Biology; D004194:Disease; D004198:Disease Susceptibility; D005260:Female; D020022:Genetic Predisposition to Disease; D015894:Genome, Human; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008593:Menopause / Q000502:physiology; D008875:Middle Aged; D009059:Mouth Diseases / Q000235:genetics / Q000503:physiopathology; D009909:Oral Health; D010146:Pain / Q000503:physiopathology; D011627:Puberty / Q000502:physiology; D012727:Sex Characteristics; D016387:Women's Health