Session Description: Menopause remains one of the most overlooked public health and equity issues, despite its wide-ranging effects on physical, mental, and oral health. The UConn Health Disparities Institute’s Menopause Equity Initiative is a statewide, community-informed effort to normalize menopause, increase access to culturally responsive information and care, and ensure that policies and practices reflect the lived experiences of those most impacted by inequities. Within this initiative, oral health has emerged as a critical but under-recognized concern, as menopause-related hormonal changes can contribute to dry mouth, burning mouth syndrome, periodontal changes, and other conditions that influence pain, function, and quality of life.

During this session, participants will be introduced to current knowledge on how menopause affects oral and systemic health, the ways menopause-related oral health issues may present in clinical encounters, and the mental health context that often accompanies these changes. The session will highlight practical, interdisciplinary strategies that oral health providers and other clinicians can use to better support patients during the menopause transition, advance person-centered care, and promote menopause equity in Connecticut.

Speaker Disclosure Statement: Drs.  Bethany B. Brenner, Seema Kurup, Jenna Ward, Lenora Williams, and Feier Liu in their role as speakers for this educational event, has no relevant financial relationship(s) with any ineligible companies that could be perceived as a real or apparent conflict of interest in the context of the subject of this presentation that need to be disclosed. There are no relevant financial relationships listed for this individual to be mitigated. 

Speaker Off-label Statement: Drs.  Bethany B. Brenner, Seema Kurup, Jenna Ward, Lenora Williams, and Feier Liu will not be discussing the off-labeled, or investigational use of any product or device.