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The present study offers a literature review of the main oral complications observed in women during pregnancy
and menopause, and describes the different dental management protocols used during these periods and during lactation,
according to the scientific literature. To this effect, a PubMed-Medline search was made, using the following
key word combinations: “pregnant and dentistry”, “lactation and dentistry”, “postmenopausal and dentistry”, “menopausal
and dentistry” and “oral bisphosphonates and dentistry”. The search was limited to reviews, metaanalyses
and clinical guides in dental journals published over the last 10 years in English and Spanish. A total of 38 publications
were evaluated. Pregnancy can be characterized by an increased prevalence of caries and dental erosions,
worsening of pre-existing gingivitis, or the appearance of pyogenic granulomas, among other problems. Although
routine dental treatment is generally safe in pregnant patients and posteriorly during the lactation period, certain
dental procedures can have potentially damaging effects, such as the use of ionizing radiations, the administration
of drugs, or the generation of pain and stress. In postmenopausal women, alterations of the oral cavity are related
to the hormone alterations that characterize these patients and to physiological aging of the oral tissues, potentially
giving rise to periodontitis, burning mouth syndrome and xerostomia. As a result of the development of osteoporosis,
these patients may be receiving treatment with oral bisphosphonates, which in turn may require changes in the
dental management plan.
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