Influence of the menstrual cycle on the gingival microcirculation.

In young women in the reproductive age, a statistically significant decrease in the plasma levels of estradiol-17 beta during menstruation (P less than 0.001) was accompanied by marked expression of existing symptoms of chronic catarrhal gingivitis and by their appearance in so far intact areas of the marginal gingivae. At the same time, a statistically significant rise of the gingival index (less than 0.001) was recorded along with a markedly lowered blood flow through the capillary bed of interdental papillae and vestibular mucous membrane, as evidenced by statistically significant decreases in the mean values of half-time of Na131I resorption from the interdental papillae (P less than 0.01) and the vestibular mucous membrane (P less than 0.001), respectively.