Talk about an oral fixation.
Much of conception is out of our control and can simply come down to age or the number of eggs a woman produces.
But some lifestyle habits could play a surprisingly big role in helping or hurting fertility, including one that’s right in front of your face — or more inside your mouth.
Oral health is a window to overall health, as problems in the mouth can lead to disease throughout the rest of the body, according to the Mayo Clinic.
And a new study has found that long-term oral inflammation could have far-reaching effects on female fertility.
Published in the Journal of Dental Research, the study found that persistent inflammation in the mouth can negatively affect ovarian function, reduce egg quality and ultimately lower fertility rates.
Using a mouse model with dental implants, the researchers were able to discover that the chronic inflammation triggered a response from the immune system that reached the ovaries.
This led to increased levels of inflammatory cytokines — small, specialized proteins that act as chemical messengers — and oxidative damage to ovarian tissue, eventually causing reduced birth rates in the animals.
Inflammation in the mouth also had effects on the cellular level, as immature egg cells (the precursor to eggs) had DNA damage and alterations that were similar to those of reproductive aging.
“Inflammation is often thought of as a localized response,” study lead professor Michael Klutstein said in a press release. “But our findings show that it can have systemic consequences that extend as far as the reproductive system.”
Klutstein also said the findings of the study could be an “underrecognized factor in female infertility,” and provide an explanation for many.
This study also adds to the evidence that oral health plays a role in overall health.
Chronic oral inflammatory conditions like periodontitis are linked to several other diseases, such as type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular diseases and even Alzheimer’s.
Poor dental health habits, like not brushing and flossing properly, could also be a sign of dementia and declining cognitive function.
And inflammation of the gums specifically has also been linked to heart disease, diabetes and respiratory conditions due to gingivitis that irritates the gums and eventually damages the bone.
Further research is necessary to determine how the study’s findings translate to humans and whether anti-inflammatory or antioxidant treatments could be used to improve fertility outcomes.
