The Effects of Gonadal Steroid Hormones on Tooth Development, Growth, and Maintenance

Behr, Hayley

The Effects of Gonadal Steroid Hormones on Tooth Development, Growth, and Maintenance

Persistent URL

https://dspace.allegheny.edu/handle/10456/51947

Author(s)

Behr, Hayley

Date Issued

April 9, 2021

Abstract

Teeth are vital organs that not only function to cut, grind, and crush food; they can also play a larger role in a person’s systemic health. To date, it has been hypothesized that harmful bacteria from tooth infections can reach other areas of the body through bone cavities, blood, or lymph vessels, and along nerves, causing harm to the cardiovascular and neurological systems. From a public health perspective, proper development, growth, and maintenance of a person’s teeth throughout their lifetime are important to protect other vital organs. It is important not only to understand teeth but to also understand the regulatory factors that influence them. Gonadal steroid hormones (e.g. estrogen, testosterone & progesterone) serve as regulatory molecules in the teeth. This paper aims to draw upon the literature to comprehensively explain the role that these hormones play in tooth growth, development, maintenance, and ultimately systemic health. Tooth development encompasses both tooth formation and growth. During these processes, gonadal hormones have been shown to play a role in hard tissue formation and the tooth-eruption process. Hard tissue formation relies on osteoblasts and odontoblasts to act as building blocks for dentin, enamel, and cementum. These cells respond to both testosterone and estrogen through transcriptional regulation. Both testosterone and estrogen act as a ligand and bind to a receptor on the target cell. This steroid-receptor complex moves through the cell and binds to the DNA to promote gene transcription which increases cell differentiation. Additionally, higher intrauterine testosterone levels present in the male fetal circulation levels and diffused to females with a twin brother is hypothesized to explain why males and females with a male twin may have larger crown intercuspal dimensions. The surges of testosterone are hypothesized to promote larger crown height and length dimensions through increased transcriptional regulation. Furthermore, gonadal hormones have been hypothesized to affect a difference in primary tooth eruption times between boys and girls. The common hypothesis behind this is that early secretion of both estrogen and testosterone in girls causes an earlier tooth eruption. Tooth maintenance is the process where teeth are preserved throughout a person’s lifetime. In the literature, there are two topics regarding the maintenance of teeth: cavity appearance and periodontal disease. Normal hormonal fluctuations of estrogen in females affect the saliva formation process which is hypothesized to harm processes that preserve teeth from disruptions in the normal oral microflora. Additionally, evidence from rodent experimentation showed that higher concentrations of testosterone and estrogen may correlate to increases in cavity appearance. Also, increased levels of periodontal disease have been noted during times of significant gonadal hormone changes in puberty, pregnancy, menopause, post-menopause, and aging populations. Future research in this field needs to focus on further identifying and describing the links between gonadal hormones, dental health, and systemic health. This will ensure that doctors, dentists, and other practitioners are properly educated to ensure beneficial treatments for patients.

Major

Biology

First Reader(s)

Whitenack, Lisa B.