Did YOU know you shouldn’t go to the dentist during your period?

If you have a toothache or mouthache before and during your period, you’re not alone.

This symptom is quite common, experts say, due to changes in progesterone levels, which can affect the gums and cause inflammation.

According to The Vagina Museum, a London-based project aimed at disseminating information on anatomy and gynecological health, the link between menstruation and oral health is very common, but rarely taught in dental schools.

A recent tweet suggested scheduling appointments with a dentist or hygienist “at other points in the cycle” to avoid further irritating gums when they’re already inflamed.

“The menstrual cycle affects the entire body,” the museum wrote in a tweet. Changes in hormones can cause tissue changes throughout the body, and that includes the mouth.

Progesterone levels affect the gums. And the symptoms around periods are called menstrual gingivitis.

Just before getting a period, a person’s gums may become inflamed and appear red, or even bleed, leading to toothache.

Some people also experience swollen salivary glands or increased canker sores. The overall effect can be a sore mouth,” the tweet added. “Other hormonal changes can also cause oral symptoms like this, especially puberty and pregnancy.”

According to a blog post from hinsdale dental – a clinic based in Illinois in the USA – this happens because progesterone helps the production of prostaglandins.

Prostaglandins, in turn, promote inflammation of the blood vessels in the gums.

The museum reports that “understanding the changes in your gums with your cycle is helpful in managing the problem.”

“Although period gingivitis is quite common, many dentists are unaware of it,” the post also said. “Because it’s not always taught in dental school.” But it’s real, and you can’t imagine feeling terrible in your mouth once a month!

It comes as experts warn against a dangerous new TikTok trend that is seeing social media users apply their menstrual blood to their faces as a homemade skin care mask.

The idea of ​​’Menstrual Mask’ or ‘Period Mask’ has gone viral on the social media platform, with the hashtag #periodfacemask reaching 6.4 billion views on TikTok.

TikTokers claim that menstrual blood contains all the stem cells and all the nutrients your skin and body need.

Some TikTok users claim to collect their period blood in a menstrual cup and then rub it on their skin for the purported benefits, such as leaving skin clear and glowing.

However, skincare expert Elizabeth Rimmer of London Professional Aesthetics told FEMAIL that those who apply their menstrual blood risk “inflammation and infection.”

While the benefits of smearing period blood on your face have been discussed by some for years, the trend has recently increased on TikTok.

Several beauty influencers have started promoting the unusual habit on their social media platform.

Elizabeth told FEMAIL that people shouldn’t try the menstrual masking trend, recommending that people “err on the side of scientifically proven therapies” when it comes to skin care.

“There is a lot of talk about the use of menstrual masks to break taboos and negativity about periods in society,” said the expert. I relate to this: Menstruation has been whispered about for far too long.

“In this age of discussion about menopause, making sanitary products free for school-age children, educating men to better understand women’s physiology, periods should be at the top of the list of conversation”.

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