Studies have been reported on the association between menopause and periodontal disease related to estrogen deficiency. Although the estrogen receptor has been demonstrated on some oral tissues, the presence of estrogen receptors on periodontal pockets has not been discussed. This study was conducted to determine the difference of estrogen receptor α and β on periodontal pockets between menopausal and reproductive women. The results showed that the estrogen receptors α and β were expressed on periodontal pockets. The immunoexpression of estrogen receptor α in periodontal pocket epithelium of menopausal women was higher than that of estrogen receptor β, similarly to the reproductive women, but there was no significant difference in the immunoexpression of estrogen receptors α and β between menopausal and reproductive women. We concluded that the influence of estrogen on the periodontal pockets is more via
estrogen receptor α both on menopausal and reproductive women.
