Oral findings in postmenopausal women attending dental hospital in Western part of India.
OBJECTIVE
To know the nature, incidence and severity of oral manifestations occurring in postmenopausal women.


METHODS
Oral changes were observed in 365 postmenopausal women and 365 age matched male individuals attending the department of Oral Medicine and Radiology. The patients were asked about complaints of dry mouth, taste and breath changes, mucosal and facial pain and were examined for oral changes such as ulceration, white and red lesions. The results obtained from the study were then correlated with various other similar studies.


RESULTS
The important oral findings in postmenopausal women were mucosal burning/pain (25.8%), dry mouth (27.1%), altered taste (3.6%), altered breath (6.3%) and facial pain (3.6%). Oral submucous fibrosis (OSMF) was significantly more common in males (5.5%) as compared to postmenopausal females (1.9%).


CONCLUSIONS
Results from the present study reveal that oral symptoms are common problems in postmenopausal women. Postmenopausal patients showed significantly more oral changes than the control. These changes could be related to the hormone alterations. Therefore, dentists need to refer postmenopausal women with oral symptoms to a gynaecologist for more careful examinations and medical interventions if necessary. Key words:Menopause; postmenopause; xerostomia; pallor; oral changes.
Dept of Oral medicine and radiology, Jodhpur Dental College, Jodhpur National University, Jodhpur (Raj). India.
Patil
P
Santosh
Dept of Conservative dentistry and endodontics, Jodhpur Dental College, Jodhpur National University, Jodhpur (Raj). India.
Sinha
S
Nidhi
Dept of Conservative dentistry and endodontics, Jodhpur Dental College, Jodhpur National University, Jodhpur (Raj). India.
Kaswan
K
Sumita
Dept of Oral Pathology and Microbiology, Jaipur Dental College and Hospital, Jaipur (Raj), India.
Rahman
R
Farzan
Dept of Oral medicine and radiology, NIMS, Jaipur (Raj), India.
Doni
D
Bharati
Dept of Periodontics, Vyas Dental College and Hospital, Jodhpur, India.
Kp
K
Ashok