Bb. Herlofson et P. Barkvoll, ORAL MUCOSAL DESQUAMATION OF PREMENOPAUSAL AND POSTMENOPAUSAL WOMEN -A COMPARISON OF RESPONSE TO SODIUM LAURYL SULFATE IN TOOTHPASTES, Journal of clinical periodontology, 23(6), 1996, pp. 567-571
The aim of the present study was to investigate whether a difference i
n susceptibility to chemically induced irritation of the oral mucosa i
n 14 pre- and 14 post-menopausal women exists, following local exposur
e to sodium lauryl sulphate (SLS) in toothpastes. 4 different pastes d
iffering only in detergent concentration present, or not, were used. T
he participants applied 1 cm of the different test toothpastes to a ca
p splint covering the teeth and the oral mucosa of the upper jaw 2x da
ily for 2 min during a period of 4 days. 42 desquamative reactions of
the oral mucosa (in 20 subjects) were observed, 29 and 13 in the pre-
and the postmenopausal group, respectively. Desquamation was only expe
rienced following exposure to SLS-containing toothpastes, not succeedi
ng SLS-free paste. The results demonstrated that oral mucosa of pre-me
nopausal women was significantly more sensitive to SLS than oral mucos
a of post-menopausal women. The difference in mucosal irritation betwe
en the 2 groups increased with increasing concentration of SLS.