New research from the University of Sydney has uncovered a significant link between poor oral health and higher rates of migraines, abdominal pain, and body aches in women. Published in Frontiers in Pain Research, the groundbreaking study highlights how specific oral microbes are associated with pain conditions, suggesting a potential connection between the oral microbiome and the nervous system.
The study emphasizes the importance of maintaining good oral health as a potential strategy to alleviate pain and improve overall well-being. The research also opens the door to further exploration of the role the oral microbiome plays in chronic, unexplained pain conditions like fibromyalgia, a disorder that affects 67 percent of the participants in the study.
Lead Investigator Associate Professor Joanna Harnett, from the University of Sydney’s Faculty of Medicine and Health, stated, “This is the first study to explore the relationship between oral health, the oral microbiome, and pain commonly experienced by women with fibromyalgia. Our findings show a clear and significant association between poor oral health and pain.”
Fibromyalgia, a chronic condition that leads to widespread musculoskeletal pain, headaches, fatigue, sleep disturbances, and cognitive issues, is often underrecognized. First author Sharon Erdrich, a PhD candidate at the Faculty of Medicine and Health, underscored the significance of these findings, particularly in relation to fibromyalgia, which affects a large number of women.
Research Methodology
The study examined the connections between self-reported oral health, the oral microbiome, and various pain symptoms in a group of New Zealand women, some of whom had fibromyalgia and others who did not. Oral health was assessed using the World Health Organization’s oral health questionnaire, and pain levels were evaluated using established instruments such as the Short-form 36 (which measures quality of life), the International Headache Society survey, and the Functional Bowel Disorder Severity Index.
The results revealed strong correlations between oral health and pain levels, with specific oral microbes linked to pain in different areas of the body. Women with the poorest oral health scores were more likely to experience severe body pain and migraines. In fact, 60 percent of those with poor oral health reported moderate to severe body pain, while 49 percent suffered from migraine headaches. The study also found that lower oral health scores were a significant predictor of chronic and frequent migraines.
Oral Microbes and Pain
The researchers identified four oral microbial species—Dialister, Fusobacterium, Parvimonas, and Solobacterium—that were strongly associated with pain after adjusting for factors such as age, body mass index, and dietary sugar intake. The study also found a weak but significant inverse correlation between diet quality and oral health, though the researchers caution that further investigation is needed to understand this relationship in more detail.
The Australian Dental Association recommends regular dental checkups, alongside twice-daily brushing and flossing, to maintain optimal oral hygiene and health.
These findings highlight the potential importance of oral health in managing chronic pain, particularly for conditions like fibromyalgia, and suggest that more research into the oral microbiome could lead to new treatments for pain relief.
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