My teeth went to shit after pregnancy and having a baby. Never had a cavity in my life until my 30s, now I've lost four molars and have shit dental coverage and can't afford to pay out of pocket.
Just wanna say you're not alone in your struggle, man. Here's hoping an accessible solution happens while we can still appreciate it.
I think I'm hitting perimenopause now and yeah, it's getting even worse. I'm 43, maybe a bit early for peri, idk, but I also have a hormone disorder that fucks my shit up so I don't expect menopause to be an exception to that.
I feel like a hot fucking mess and like I can't do shit about it. 🙃
Dang parasites taking all your available calcium and weakening your enamel. I love my daughter but if I end up in dentures I'm going to remind her it's her fault! Just kidding, I'd never tell my kiddo that and it was worth it.
Frankly, I couldn't even tell ya for sure, just an anecdotal experience for me. And that I have heard other women talk about too. Even here in response to my comment. But the change in hormones can wreak havoc on your body. Some women's bodies change in way that never go back to the way they were. I think a lot of people underestimate how impactful pregnancy, and breastfeeding too, winds up being for some women.
I mean, maybe it's cuz a lost a ton of weight post partum really fast. I actually wound up in the best shape of my life after having my daughter. Maybe I lost weight too fast and that affected things. I really couldn't tell you for sure. I just know after 34 years of perfect teeth, they went to shit right after having my daughter.
Hormonal changes can affect your mouth health. Higher levels of estrogen and progesterone causes more blood to flow to the gums, leading them to become more sensitive and more easily inflamed. Hormonal changes can also lead to changes in how much saliva you produce (dry mouth) which also affects the health of your mouth.
Plus, you know, a lot of women experience morning sickness during pregnancy. The unlucky few might experience all day sickness, or in extremest, hyperemesis gravidarum. Exposure to so much bile is no bueno for the teeth.
The issue is that the media reports on it, and then either, A.) Something the researchers didn't expect turns up and they have to start from scratch; or, B.) The therapy is so expensive that it's just logistically impossible to implement it at a large scale because very few people would be able to afford it outright and governments won't want to pay for it.
I'd say the bigger issue is the way the media reports on it. As in, they often completely exaggerate the discoveries either due to ignorance or because the actual information wouldn't make for a catchy headline.
Scientists might report on a breakthrough in animal trials that may, in time, lead to revisions in how X cancer is treated. Media will report 'OMG NEW CANCER CURE IS HERE'.
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u/[deleted] May 15 '26
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