Taos of late 50: A review on postmenopausal oral discomfort in women

Menopause, the cessation of menses, is a normal physiologic event experienced by women. It is not an illness or a deficiency. After a woman's reproductive years, there is a 5- to 10-year period of menopause-related alterations in hormone patterns. These patterns terminate in a sharp decline of female hormone levels. The lack of ovarian estrogens appears to be associated with the onset of several postmenopausal diseases, most notably osteoporosis and heart disease. Oral discomfort has been reported as a complaint among postmenopausal women. It includes occurrences of pain, burning sensations, altered taste perception and dryness of the mouth. On this background this paper presents a review on the postmenopausal discomfort in women.