How can you tell your period is coming?
Do you wake up with sore boobs? Go to bed with a banging headache? Or do you spend hours scanning supermarket aisles, hunting for a sweet treat that’ll finally satisfy your cravings?
Whatever it might be, anyone who menstruates will be familiar with the tell-tale signs their period is on its way.
But, judging by discussions online, there’s one symptom in particular that drives some women ‘absolutely insane’ – and it’s a little out of the ordinary.
A number of people have shared revealed that toothache and gum sensitivity are among the first signs their body gives them that the red wave is fast approaching.
‘I thought I was alone in this’
From tales of bleeding gums to toothache that lasts for days, women have been consoling one another across social media – with many admitting they’d convinced themselves they were ‘going crazy’.
In 2025, content creator @realhousewifeofwisconsin posted a video on TikTok revealing that the hormonal changes she experiences each month regularly leave her in debilitating mouth pain.
‘It took me years to figure out why I wanted to rip my teeth out each month,’ she added.
Dozens of others immediately revealed similar symptoms. One commenter, @AprilLoxton, wrote ‘This is me! Omg and people think I’m crazy but I swell up everywhere including my gums right before my period!’
@Vanessa added: ‘I thought I was alone in this’, while @Caitlin wrote: ‘Ok I’m glad this is a thing because I’ve noticed this happens to me’. And @commandantskip added: ‘It’s such a freaky symptom!’.
Send help #menstrualcup #lutealphase #didyouknow #women #cyclesyncing #period #periodtips
So why does this happen?
Painful and frustrating though it might be, experts emphasise that it needn’t be a cause for concern (in most cases).
Dr Kalpesh Prajapat, cosmetic and implant dentist, tells Metro that ‘there is scientific evidence to show that the gums and tissues supporting the teeth are sensitive to hormonal changes’.
Specifically, he explains, fluctuations in hormones such as oestrogen and progesterone can change the way the gums respond to plaque and inflammation.
According to Dr Kalpesh, progesterone in particular has previously been associated with changes in inflammatory mediators, while oestrogen can influence the blood vessels within gingival tissues (e.g. the gums).
‘Around different stages of the menstrual cycle, some women can therefore notice that their gums feel more swollen, tender or sensitive than usual.
‘They may bleed more easily when brushing and occasionally, patients describe their teeth as feeling slightly different, sore or even a little looser’.
That being said, he does emphasise that there should be an important caveat on the word’loose’.
‘A normal menstrual cycle shouldn’t suddenly make an otherwise healthy tooth genuinely mobile,’ he notes.
In other words, the hormones themselves are necessarily creating gum disease from nowhere, but they can temporarily make the gums react more strongly to plaque or an existing area of inflammation.
So if somebody says, ‘My gums always ache or my teeth feel strange just before my period,’ Dr Kalpesh confirms that there is a plausible biological explanation for this.
But, if one particular tooth is moving, there is significant swelling, pus, persistent bleeding, severe pain, facial swelling, or the symptoms continue after the period has finished, it’s recommended you see a dentist immediately.
POLL
Poll
Have you ever noticed your teeth/gums hurt right before your period starts?
-
Yes! I thought I was the only oneCheck
-
No, I’ve never noticed thisCheck
Something to be aware of is that this kind of pre-period pain might be more noticeable in somebody who already has an underlying dental issue: such as gingivitis, gum disease, a wisdom tooth problem, grinding or clenching.
‘The hormonal change may effectively make something that was relatively quiet become more noticeable for a few days,’ Dr Kalpesh adds.
Is there a way to stop this from happening?
Unfortunately there’s not a whole lot you can do to eradicate this particularly ‘hellish’ symptom. However, you can try and keep it at bay.
Dr Kalpesh’s advice is to keep brushing twice daily with fluoride toothpaste and continue cleaning between the teeth even if the gums feel slightly tender.
While you might be tempted to stop brushing if you notice a little bleeding, he says this could actually make things worse, as plaque build-up can further inflame the gums.
‘If the symptoms appear at roughly the same point every month and then disappear, keeping a simple note of when they occur alongside the menstrual cycle can also be useful,’ he adds.
While there might not be a simple fix, there is some comfort in knowing that this isn’t all in your head. And as we continue to learn more about how our hormones affect our bodies, this is the kind of information we should keep sharing with each other.
Do you have a story you’d like to share? Get in touch by emailing [email protected]
Comment now
Comments
Add Metro as a Preferred Source on Google
Add as preferred source