Sex-Based Differences in Oral Health

By Julie Bencosme, RDH, MA, CHES

Men and women have different dental care needs and factors that impact their oral health. When discussing these differences, the terms “sex” and “gender” must be clarified. The Institute of Medicine (IOM) defines sex as “the classification of living things, generally as male or female according to their reproductive organs and functions assigned by chromo­somal complement.”¹ The IOM definition for gender is “a person’s self-representation as male or female, or how that person is responded to by social institutions based on the individual’s gender present­ation.”¹ This article takes a brief look at sex-based differences and their effects on oral health and the delivery of dental care.

* References can be found in the original article via the link below.
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