It's safe to assume that pregnant women undergo significant hormonal changes during pregnancy, but one UO scientist believes those changes do much more than increase the expectant mothers' cravings for pickles and Cherry Garcia.
Pregnancy raises estrogen levels, and female estrogens have been tied to increased cavity rates; male androgens, on the other hand, have not.
In the October issue of Current Anthropology, UO anthropologist John R. Lukacs analyzed these hormonal differences and presented further findings related to the role gender plays in oral health. According to Lukacs, women also produce less saliva than men, and less saliva means less removal of food particles. Making matters worse, during pregnancy, a woman's saliva actually loses antimicrobial capacity, leaving her teeth even more vulnerable to the high-energy, sweet foods she may crave.
But that's not all. Lukacs proposed a third reason for women's comparatively poor dental health: the development of agriculture. Farming led to more sedentary roles for women, and a corresponding rise in fertility, leaving women increasingly vulnerable to cavities. Lukacs found that increases in dental deterioration accompanied agricultural innovation across cultures and in pre-historic as well as living subjects.
- Chrisanne Beckner
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