As menopause continues to gain recognition as a public health and equity priority, a growing body of evidence points to a dimension often overlooked: its impact on oral health.
Approximately 60 providers, researchers, students, and community partners attended the Oral Health and Menopause Lunch & Learn on June 10, both in person at UConn Health and virtually. Hosted by the UConn Health Disparities Institute (HDI) in partnership with the UConn School of Dental Medicine, Delta Dental, and the Connecticut Oral Health Initiative, the program explored the intersection of menopause, oral health, and health equity during National Oral Health Month.
The session was designed to increase awareness of oral health changes during menopause, explore clinical implications and patient experiences, and identify opportunities for provider education, interdisciplinary collaboration, and systems-level change.
Delta Dental of Connecticut served as the presenting partner for the event.
Setting the Stage
The event opened with remarks from Dr. Steven M. Lepowsky, Dean of the UConn School of Dental Medicine, and Dr. Linda Sprague Martinez, director of the UConn Health Disparities Institute, as well as partner remarks from Dr. Bethaney Brenner, a graduate of the UConn School of Dental Medicine, past president of the Connecticut State Dental Association, and practicing dentist in Burlington, Connecticut, who spoke on behalf of Delta Dental.
Featured clinical speakers included:
Dr. Seema Kurup, Associate Professor in the Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Diagnostic Sciences at the UConn School of Dental Medicine
Dr. Jenna Ward, Assistant Professor in the Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Diagnostic Sciences at the UConn School of Dental Medicine
Dr. Lenora S. Williams, Assistant Professor of Obstetrics and Gynecology at UConn Health and a North American Menopausal Society Certified Menopause Practitioner.
Dr. Feier Liu, Assistant Professor of Psychiatry at UConn Health.
The event concluded with a panel discussion moderated by Sophie Tulchinsky, UConn Health Disparities Institute Health Equity Fellow, and audience Q&A.
“June is National Oral Health Month, which makes this the perfect moment to highlight the connection between oral health and menopause,” said Lepowsky. “Oral health is inseparable from overall health, and menopause is a critical period where that connection becomes especially clear. Clinicians across disciplines need to understand how hormonal changes affect the oral cavity so we can better support patients during this transition.”
The event is part of HDI’s Speaker Series and the Menopause Equity Initiative (MEI), a statewide, community-driven effort to elevate menopause as a public health and equity priority in Connecticut.
Delta Dental: Education, Communication, and Whole-Person Care
In her partner remarks, Dr. Brenner emphasized the importance of education, communication, and team-based care in helping patients understand the connection between oral health and menopause. Her remarks underscored a central message of the program: the mouth is not separate from the body, and hormonal changes across the life course can affect oral health, comfort, function, and quality of life.
Dr. Brenner also highlighted Delta Dental’s commitment to educating patients and providers, supporting evidence-based conversations about menopause, and normalizing this natural stage of life so patients can make informed health and wellness decisions.
“Knowledge is power,” Brenner said. “Our ability to communicate effectively with patients can leave a lasting impact, especially when we are helping them understand how oral health connects to whole-person health.”
The program also included a special Delta Dental edition of The (M) Factor: Shredding the Silence on Menopause, a documentary that premiered on PBS and spotlights the connection between oral health and menopause. The special edit featured insights from Sarah Chavarria, CEO and President of Delta Dental of California and Affiliates, and Teri Barichello, DMD, Vice President and Chief Dental Officer of Delta Dental of Oregon and Alaska, on how menopause can affect women’s oral health.
Elevating Oral Health in Menopause Care
Dr. Kurup opened the clinical presentations by emphasizing the need to elevate oral health education in the context of menopause.
“Menopause is a natural physiologic transition, not a disease,” Kurup said. “People are aware of hot flashes, mood changes and weight fluctuations. Yet there is a striking lack of information about how hormonal changes affect the oral cavity. Oral health is more than the absence of disease; it’s about comfort, function, microbiome balance, and quality of life.”
Kurup highlighted the parallels between the oral and vaginal mucosa, noting that both are estrogen-responsive tissues. She discussed the impact of estrogen deficiency on the oral microbiome and conditions such as burning mouth syndrome and temporomandibular disorders.
Burning mouth is seen more in peri and post-menopausal women. Hormonal changes may influence pain perception, taste function, salivary function, and neural sensitivity. Similarly, estrogen receptors within the TMJ, suggest that estrogen has the potential to exert both protective and pain-promoting effects.
“Menopause conversations matter,” she emphasized. “Ask. Record. Follow through.”
Xerostomia, Periodontitis, and Bone Health
Dr. Ward focused her presentation on xerostomia, or dry mouth, a common but often overlooked concern among menopausal patients. She provided clinicians with questions to help identify xerostomia and distinguish it from other oral conditions, including whether a patient feels their mouth is dry when eating, has difficulty swallowing without liquid, experiences food sticking to the teeth or mucosa, or has burning, pain, or raw sensations in the mouth.
“Xerostomia has many causes, including medications, autoimmune conditions, and dehydration, but menopause is one important contributor,” Ward explained. “Reductions in estrogen can be associated with decreased salivary flow, which may help explain why many menopausal women report dry mouth.”
Ward noted that while some studies suggest hormone replacement therapy may improve symptoms, findings are mixed, and more research is needed. She also referenced emerging evidence linking xerostomia to bone density loss.
“There is interesting research suggesting a relationship between dry mouth and decreased bone density,” she said. “This may signal a need for more routine bone health screening among menopausal patients presenting with xerostomia.”
Menopause as Normal Physiology and a Health Equity Issue
Dr. Williams grounded her talk in a key message: “Menopause is normal physiology not pathology. It is not a disease. It is not a disorder.”
She reminded attendees that more than 60 million women in the U.S. are currently perimenopausal or menopausal with some women spending 40% of their lives postmenopausal, making it a major public health issue. She discussed estrogen’s effects on the oral cavity and the similarities between oral and genitourinary changes during the menopausal transition.
Williams illustrated the systemic effects of estrogen loss, and the relationship between skeletal and periodontal(alveolar) bone health. She also highlighted the importance of addressing racial and structural disparities in both oral health and menopause care.
“Health disparities are not created by the menopause transition but this transition can magnify disparities that already exist. Structural racism shapes access to oral health care, and menopausal management,” Williams said. “If we want to improve outcomes, we must confront the systems that create unequal access in the first place.”
She emphasized the need for cross-disciplinary collaboration.
“Dentists, physicians, mental health providers, we all have a role to play,” Williams added. “Menopause care must be a team effort.”
Mental Health, Menopause, and Oral Health
Dr. Liu closed the presentations by underscoring the strong connection between mental health and oral health during the menopause transition. She explained that menopause can be associated with increased risk for depression and anxiety, sleep disruption, stress, and other mental health concerns.
Liu also described the ways mental health can influence oral health behaviors, including dental hygiene practices, avoidance of dental follow-up, tobacco or alcohol use, and stress-related conditions such as bruxism, facial pain, and temporomandibular disorders. She noted that oral health conditions can also affect quality of life, including eating, speaking, smiling, sleep, pain, work, and social connections.
“Mental health is deeply connected to oral health,” Liu said. “Supporting patients through the emotional and psychological aspects of menopause is essential to supporting their oral health.”
Liu encouraged clinicians to screen more intentionally, ask patients about dental concerns and stressors, use motivational interviewing, and apply trauma-informed approaches to care.
A Call for Interdisciplinary Action
The event concluded with a panel discussion moderated by Tulchinsky. The discussion brought together all four presenters to explore opportunities for interdisciplinary collaboration and more coordinated menopause-informed care. Clinicians asked questions through Slido and in person, reflecting strong interest in integrating menopause-informed care into dental, medical, behavioral health, and health professions education.
“Advancing the health of women in midlife requires a whole‑health approach,” said Tulchinsky. “Menopause affects every part of a person’s well‑being, and our care models need to reflect that. When clinicians look beyond isolated symptoms and consider the full physical, emotional, and oral health picture, we can better support patients through this transition and beyond.”
The event reinforced the importance of creating reliable patient education, strengthening provider training, expanding access to oral health care, and building care models that better support marginalized and medically underserved populations.
“Improving menopause-informed oral health care is not just a clinical challenge; it is a policy challenge,” said Gary Turco, Executive Director of the Connecticut Oral Health Initiative. “Providers can expand their knowledge and refine their practice, but without meaningful insurance reforms and equitable access to preventive and specialty care, the patients who need this care most will continue to be left behind.”
“Patients are telling us clearly that they want reliable information, they want to have meaningful conversations with their providers, and they want care that is coordinated across disciplines,” said Dr. Linda Sprague Martinez, Director of the UConn Health Disparities Institute. “If we are serious about improving outcomes for minoritized marginalized and medically underserved populations, we must continue to learn and work together, across dentistry, medicine, mental health, and with our community partners and patients themselves. Today was an important step toward that goal, and we need to keep building on this momentum to create a system that truly supports people through the menopause transition.”
What’s Next for HDI’s Menopause Equity Initiative
As HDI enters the next phase of the Menopause Equity Initiative, Trisha Pitter, Director of Community Learning & Engagement, noted that the institute will continue to support education and awareness by providing free access to The (M) Factor: Shredding the Silence on Menopause documentary, accompanied by a community event planning toolkit.
“We welcome providers, community organizations, employers, and partners across Connecticut to use The (M) Factor documentary as a tool to spread awareness, spark conversation, and continue education about menopause care,” Pitter said. “Together, we can break the silence around menopause and build a system that better supports people through this transition.”
“This event reflects the heart of HDI’s work: bringing together community, clinical, academic, and policy partners to address gaps that too often remain invisible,” said Sprague Martinez. “The Menopause Equity Initiative has helped elevate menopause as a public health and equity issue in Connecticut, and this next phase is about building the infrastructure needed to sustain that momentum and translate learning into systems, practice, and policy change. I am excited for Pitter to lead this charge.”
About the Health Disparities Institute (HDI)
The Health Disparities Institute at UConn Health works to advance equity and improve health outcomes by addressing the root causes of health disparities. Through research, data, workforce development, and strong partnerships with communities disproportionately impacted by inequities, HDI leads efforts to create systemic change. HDI’s vision is equitable health, education, and economic opportunity for all in Connecticut. The institute partners with communities across Connecticut to address the structural and social factors that shape health, with a focus on ensuring that those most affected by inequities are centered in defining problems and leading solutions.
HDI’s Menopause Equity Initiative is part of this broader commitment. The initiative seeks to transform how menopause and midlife health are understood, discussed, and supported by expanding access to accurate information, improving care pathways, and elevating the lived experiences of women and gender-diverse people navigating midlife transitions. Through community-driven programming, partnerships, and public education, HDI is working to ensure that menopause is recognized as a critical health equity issue rather than a private struggle.