Your weight. Your mood. Your dental health. There’s one thing that can make all these aspects of your health go haywire — hormones.

You may be surprised to learn that hormone surges may make you more vulnerable to gum disease because more female hormones (estrogen and progesterone) cause more blood to flow to your gums, which causes them to become more sensitive and “overreact” to anything that may irritate them. Women are more sensitive to the presence of plaque deposits and bacteria around the gums when the hormone levels are high. This can cause your gums to become inflamed, swell and bleed. If left untreated, ongoing inflammation in the gums can also lead to bone loss around the teeth and eventual tooth loss.

Your hormones are a fact of life, but gum disease not so much. It’s actually preventable and reversible in its early stages. So what’s a woman to do? Start by paying extra attention and taking good care of your mouth during these five times in your life.

PUBERTY

Raging hormones can leave a teenage girl’s gums red, swollen and bleeding. (In some cases, the gums’ overreaction to plaque may cause gums to actually grow bigger.) Some teenage girls may also find themselves developing mouth sores(ulcers) , which usually heal on their own.

The best treatment? Prevention. Brush twice a day with a fluoride toothpaste, floss once a day and see your dentist regularly.

PERIODS

You may not notice any change in your mouth in the days before your period. But if you have swollen gums, bleeding gums, mouth sores or swollen salivary glands, hormones may be to blame. These symptoms should subside after your period stops — but if they don’t, then the increased bleeding by your gums is signalling something else.

Stay on top of your daily dental health routine, and if you find you have more sensitivity than usual before or during your period, schedule cleanings for about a week after it ends.

USING BIRTH CONTROL PILLS

The levels of estrogen and progesterone in today’s birth control prescriptions are too low to cause any issues with your gums, according to a February 2013 review in the journal Periodontology 2000.

Still, it’s important to make sure your dentist is aware if you are taking birth control pills. Here’s why:

• your dentist may need to prescribe you some medications which can make your birth control less effective.

• If you’re having a tooth removed, you may be more at risk for a painful complication called dry socket.

PREGNANCY

During pregnancy our body is in hormonal hyper drive. Some women find they have developed pregnancy gingivitis — a mild form of gum disease that causes gums to be red, tender and sore. It is most common between the second and eighth months of pregnancy. Stay on top of your brushing, stay on top of your flossing and be meticulous about the care of your entire body.

Visiting your dentist during pregnancy is incredibly important — and absolutely safe. In fact, your dentist may recommend more frequent cleanings during your second trimester and early third trimester to help control gingivitis. If you notice any other changes in your mouth during pregnancy, see your dentist.

MENOPAUSE

Menopause is a huge change in a woman’s life and a woman’s mouth, including altered taste, burning sensations in your mouth and increased sensitivity. They’re all related to hormones.

Still, there are two critical changes to be aware of: dry mouth and bone loss. Saliva cleanses the teeth and rinses cavity-causing bacteria off your teeth. When you have dry mouth, your saliva flow decreases and you’re more at risk for cavities. Talk to your dentist if your mouth is feeling dry. Your dentist may recommend high Strength fluoride toothpaste that helps reduce the risk of tooth decay. At night, sleeping with a humidifier on in your room can also make a difference.

Losing bone in your jaw can lead to tooth loss. The decreased estrogen that occurs with menopause also puts you at risk for a loss of bone density. Signs of bone loss in your jaw can be something as simple as receding gums which gradually leads to tooth getting shaky. When your gums recede, more of your tooth is exposed and that puts more of your tooth at risk for decay. And if your mouth is dry, thats a double whammy. To help reduce your risk of bone loss, it is important to make sure you're getting the right amount of calcium and vitamin D. More importantly, regular dental scaling every 6 months is a must for women once they near their 40s.

Take care of your mouth and that will in turn take care of your whole body because your mouth is the gateway to your body.