--- title: Does menstrual cycle phase affect how much pain women feel when orthodontic treatment starts? description: Yes. Women in the follicular phase experienced less pain after the initial archwire was placed compared to women in the luteal phase. url: https://niyora.com/research/papers/the-effects-of-menstrual-phase-on-orthodontic-pain-following-initial-archwire-2017/ --- - [Niyora](https://niyora.com/) - [Research](https://niyora.com/research/) - [Library](https://niyora.com/research/library/) - Does menstrual cycle phase affect how much pain women feel when orthodontic treatment starts? Study, 2017 # Does menstrual cycle phase affect how much pain women feel when orthodontic treatment starts? Yes. Women in the follicular phase experienced less pain after the initial archwire was placed compared to women in the luteal phase. Moderate study design 76 women with regular menstrual cycles (37 in follicular phase, 39 in luteal phase) ## What they did Researchers divided 76 women with regular menstrual cycles into two groups by treatment timing: 37 in the follicular phase and 39 in the luteal phase. They collected data on age, anxiety, and oral health. Women rated their pain on days 1, 2, and 3 after initial archwire placement. Researchers analyzed whether menstrual phase and other factors predicted pain levels. ## What they found Pain levels were significantly affected by both menstrual phase and the day measured. Women in the follicular phase had less orthodontic pain than women in the luteal phase. In addition to menstrual phase, oral health status, education level, and anxiety all predicted pain levels independently. ## What it means for you Women may experience less pain from orthodontic treatment if the procedure is timed for the follicular phase. The researchers suggest women schedule initial orthodontic treatment during the follicular phase. This is a real-world medical study but specific to orthodontic pain and doesn't tell us about general pain sensitivity or other types of pain. 37 Women in follicular phase group 39 Women in luteal phase group 1, 2, 3 Days pain was measured after treatment ## About the study Original title The effects of menstrual phase on orthodontic pain following initial archwire engagement Authors Long H, Gao M, Zhu Y et al. Journal Oral diseases Year 2017 Study design Study What was tested Timing of initial orthodontic archwire placement by menstrual cycle phase Read the paper [doi.org/10.1111/odi.12612](https://doi.org/10.1111/odi.12612) ## Topics [Menstrual cycle and mood](https://niyora.com/research/topics/condition-cycle-mood/)[Anxiety and tension](https://niyora.com/research/topics/symptom-anxiety/)[Pain and headache](https://niyora.com/research/topics/symptom-pain/) Research tells you what helps on average. Niyora helps on the day it hits. Calm down, see it another way, and decide what to say, with a PMS and PMDD app built by a doctor. ## Related studies Cohort study, 2025 How common is PMS in Chinese teenage girls, and what factors are linked to it? Systematic review, 2021 Does damask rose help reduce menstrual pain, headache, fatigue, anxiety, and bloating? Study, 2026 What are premenstrual syndrome and premenstrual dysphoric disorder? Study, 2025 Do women have different symptom patterns before, during, and after menopause? Survey study, 2023 Do stomach and gut problems change during the menstrual cycle? Survey study, 2021 What factors affect premenstrual syndrome in teenage girls? Ask AI about this page Copy prompt ChatGPT ↗ Claude ↗ Perplexity ↗ Google AI Mode ↗ Grok ↗