Sex/Gender Differences in Dental Diseases

Women’s teeth tend to calcify and erupt earlier than men’s, and they also experience tooth loss at an earlier age. The appearance of men and women is influenced by the morphology of their teeth, their exposure, and how well they harmonize with the surrounding facial shape. Men have a higher risk of periodontal disease than women due to factors such as heredity, smoking, poor oral hygiene, and systemic diseases. In many countries, the prevalence of dental caries is higher in women, with factors such as heredity, fluoride, oral hygiene, and saliva playing a role. However, in Korea, the prevalence is higher in men. Dental trauma occurs about twice as often in males as in females and is associated with factors such as sports, violence, and safety accidents. The incidence of oral cavity diseases, in both soft and hard tissue, varies by sex/gender. For instance, oral lichen planus is more common in women, while oral cancer is more prevalent in men.