What You Need to Know About Birth Control and Your Oral Health

A woman’s life is full of big decisions. A major decision you make is when and if you have children. Since this is an important decision, you must also decide when you will use birth control. If you decide to use birth control, you also have to decide what method is right for you. Usually, this decision is based on several factors, including potential side effects, cost, and convenience.

Since birth control can impact your body, life, and health in many ways, an important consideration is how birth control will affect your overall health, and more specifically, your oral health. Keep reading to learn more.

Hormonal Changes and Your Oral Health

During certain phases of life, women need to be more aware of oral health. Some of these times include during puberty, PMS, while you are pregnant, and as you go through menopause. Because you will experience large fluctuations in progesterone and estrogen, you may experience issues like bleeding or swollen gums. In fact, inflammation caused by gum disease may impact your health beyond just your smile. Gum disease has been linked to many other, more serious, health conditions, including some cancers, Alzheimer’s disease, diabetes, heart disease, and stroke.

Now let’s dive into the connection between your oral health and birth control.

Exploring the Hormone Connection

Since several types of birth control include hormones, the first month after taking the pill will create the most significant impact on your body. If large fluctuations of hormones occur, some women could experience issues like bleeding gums or swollen gums because they are more sensitive at this time and because they can be agitated easily.

There is some good news. With the newer birth control options, you have lower progesterone and estrogen levels than the older ones. This means the impact of hormones on your oral health is not quite as significant. However, if you are already dealing with gingivitis, you may be at a higher risk for gum disease when you use hormone-based birth control.

When it comes to using birth control and oral health, there are other factors that may cause issues. Some of these include:

·      Time: How long you use hormone-based birth control will also increase your risk of gum disease.

·      Medications: With birth control, some other medications may not be as effective. It may also interact with some medications, so know about this before taking it.

·      Smoking: You will find links between health issues in women who take birth control and smoke. If you smoke while taking birth control, there is an increased risk of blood clotting and dry socket after having oral surgery.

If you want to protect your oral health, you have to know how it can be impacted. The birth control you take can have a significant impact on your overall health and your oral health. Being informed is the best way to prevent issues and ensure that you maintain good oral health, all while taking birth control.