Could your oral health be affecting fertility?
Chronic oral inflammation could harm egg development. The findings of the latest study suggest poor oral health may be an under-recognised factor in some infertility cases.
A new study has found that chronic inflammation in the mouth could affect a woman's fertility by damaging the ovaries and reducing egg quality.
Researchers from the Hebrew University of Jerusalem said ongoing oral inflammation can trigger immune reactions throughout the body, including in the reproductive system. The findings were published in the Journal of Dental Research.
The study suggests that poor oral health could be an overlooked reason behind some cases of unexplained infertility.
HOW ORAL INFLAMMATION AFFECTS FERTILITY
Researchers studied inflammation linked to dental implants in mice, a condition commonly seen in dental care.
They found that inflammation in the mouth did not stay limited to the gums or teeth. Instead, it spread immune signals throughout the body and reached the ovaries.
This caused several harmful changes in the reproductive system.
The animals showed higher levels of inflammatory chemicals in the ovaries, along with changes in immune cells. Researchers also found oxidative stress, damage to ovarian tissue, poor follicle development and lower-quality eggs.
Follicles are small sacs in the ovaries where eggs grow and mature.
These changes led to fewer successful births in the animals studied.
DAMAGE SIMILAR TO REPRODUCTIVE AGEING
The researchers also discovered that the eggs showed DNA damage and epigenetic changes, which are changes that affect how genes work.
Interestingly, these changes looked similar to those seen during reproductive ageing.
According to the researchers, this may explain how long-term inflammation speeds up fertility decline.
“Inflammation is often thought of as a local problem, but our findings show it can affect the entire body, including the reproductive system,” said Michael Klutstein, who led the study.
He added that chronic oral inflammation may be an under-recognised factor in female infertility.
WHY ORAL HEALTH MATTERS
The findings add to growing evidence that oral health is closely connected to overall health.
Conditions such as periodontitis, a severe gum infection, have already been linked to diseases affecting the heart, brain and metabolism.
Researchers now believe reproductive health may also be affected.
However, the scientists stressed that the current study was conducted in animals, and more clinical studies in humans are needed before drawing firm conclusions.