How Menopause Might Affect Your Dental Implants

Dentist Blog

Whether you already have dental implants or you're looking to make an investment in some, you may be wondering what the future holds after you've been through menopause. Read on for more information about what effect menopause can have on dental implant success.

Menopause

Technically speaking, a woman reaches menopause when a year has passed since her last menstrual period. For many women in the western world, the average age of menopause is 51. However, women can enter natural menopause at any time between the age of 45 and 55. Menopause occurs when a woman's ovaries no longer release a monthly egg resulting in the end of her menstruation.  

Menopause, Oestrogen Loss and Bone Density

In women, oestrogen is an essential hormone for healthy bones. Menopause causes a decrease in this female hormone. This oestrogen decline means postmenopausal women are at an increased risk of osteoporosis -- a medical condition which causes bones to lose density thus becoming brittle and fragile. As the bone in the jaw supports the teeth, the loss of bone density in this area places sufferers at an increased risk of tooth loss.

Menopause, Oestrogen Loss, Bone Density and Dental Implants

Bone loss may increase the risk of dental implant failure. However, some things can be done to counter the effects of oestrogen decline and support the bones. A healthy lifestyle that includes good nutrition, weight-bearing exercise, minimal alcohol and no tobacco will help decrease the risk of osteoporosis after menopause. Hormone replacement therapy (HRT) can also reduce the risk of osteoporosis, consequently reducing any adverse effects of menopause on dental implants.

Don't Worry! It's Not All Bad News

It's worth seeing a specialist to have your bone density checked before seeing your dentist. You can then discuss possible treatments to prevent or manage any bone loss. If you've already had implant surgery, it's important to remember that once an implant has achieved successful osseointegration (full connection to the living bone), menopause is unlikely to affect the bone surrounding the dental implant. So, if yours have taken, and you're following the given instructions on how to care for them, your implants should be okay. In cases where the bone is not sufficiently able to hold implants, there is still hope -- bone grafts may be offered to improve the chance of implant success. So, while menopause can influence the success of dental implants, menopause is not a contraindication for implant surgery.

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30 November 2016

Unraveling Dental Myths about Children: A Blog for Parents

When I had my first child, I was a nervous wreck. Every book I read gave different advice, and I just wanted to be right! By the time I had my third child, some of the stress had abated. I now realised, there were tons of different perspectives on everything related to raising children including dentistry. To help parents, I have created this blog dedicated to unraveling dental myths about children. I am including posts that weigh both sides of issues such as thumb sucking, dental caries, breastfeeding, flossing and any other topic I can think of. I hope you find the information you need to unravel dental myths, but most importantly, I hope you find some peace of mind. With kids and dentistry, there can be more than one right answer, and I want you to be able to relax and go with the answer that's right for you.