“His and Hers” – Are There Sex-Specific Aspects of Oral Health?

Objectives: Women experience three significant hormonal transition phases throughout their lives – puberty, pregnancy, and menopause – which impact their oral health. Despite its high relevance, sex-sensitive oral health research remains inadequately represented. Methods: Based on a comprehensive literature review, sex-specific differences in oral diseases and the role of sex hormones, especially estrogen, are described. Results: Hormonal fluctuations influence oral health in women in all different life stages. Estrogen deficiency during menopause, in particular, leads to characteristic changes such as dry mouth, mucosal atrophy, and increased susceptibility to caries and periodontal diseases. Remarkable parallels between oral and vaginal mucosa are evident at histological and functional levels, attributable to common patho-mechanisms. Conclusions: The specific biological and social risk factors affecting women often remain unconsidered in dental research and care. A better understanding of hormonal influences on female oral health is essential for developing sex-specific prevention and treatment concepts. Interdisciplinary approaches between dentistry, gynecology, and endocrinology are recommended to optimize ca re for women during hormonal transition phases. Clinical significance: There is a relationship between hormonal changes and oral health parameters in women at different stages of their life, with particular focus on the menopause, including “urogenital syndrome” and analog suggesting a “orofacial syndrome”. Women’s and men's behavior and predisposition to certain oral diseases as caries and periodontitis are compared.