Effect of menopausal estrogen deficiency on dentin formation: A comparative analysis of mineralization front and predentin thickness in pre and postmenopausal women.

OBJECTIVE: The effects of menopausal estrogen deficiency on dentin and its uncalcified organic matrix, termed predentin, in humans have not been documented so far in the literature. Thus, the present study was conducted to study the effects of menopause on dentin by analyzing the mineralization front in predentin and measuring the predentin thickness in teeth of pre and post-menopausal women. MATERIAL AND METHODS: 80 freshly extracted teeth, collected from pre and postmenopausal women (40 from each group), between 30-60 years of age group, were decalcified and predentin thickness was measured and compared at the cuspal tip, middle third and apical third. Age-wise inter and intragroup comparison was done to know the influence of aging on predentin thickness. Wider metadentin zone, indicative of delay in mineralization process was observed and analyzed by grading them. Unpaired 't' test was employed for the statistical analysis. RESULTS: There was no difference in predentin thickness between pre and post-menopausal women at all three sites. With advancing age, the predentin thickness decreased in both the study groups. Within the same age range (41-50 years), the predentin thickness slightly increased in postmenopausal women than premenopausal women. The presence of metadentin zone was more frequent (p<0.001) in the postmenopausal women. CONCLUSIONS: Estrogen deficiency during menopause affects the dentin by causing delay in mineralization process and manifests as wider metadentin zone. Further studies on a larger scale including pre and postmenopausal women of 41-50 years are suggested for knowing the effect of menopause on predentin thickness.