Health services and women's oral health

Apart from tooth loss and edentulism, data on the relative levels of oral health of men and women are scarce. Evidence from Europe and to a lesser extent from the U.S. shows that women have fewer natural teeth present than men and have higher levels of edentulism. In Europe there is some evidence that socially deprived rural women have the highest levels of edentulism. Due to the lack of adequate detail in published reports of studies, it is difficult to relate the oral health of women with the availability, acceptability, and accessibility of dental services. Women tend to attend for dental care more regularly than men though there is some evidence that women are more fearful of dental treatment and also perceive cost as a barrier to dental care. Data from the Republic of Ireland suggest that women working in the home have higher levels of tooth loss and edentulism than those working outside the home. There is a need for consensus on methods of reporting oral health data in major descriptive studies. Further research is required to investigate why women tend to lose their natural teeth at an earlier age than men.