Is Oral Health Related To Fertility?

Oral health matters much more than it seems at first glance. It is not a purely aesthetic thing: apparently, it can influence many other processes in our body. One of them is fertility.

Oral health is defined as  the absence of diseases or disorders that affect the mouth  and prevent a person from biting, smiling, chewing, or speaking. It also encompasses disorders that affect a person’s psychological well-being.

For example, cavities, wounds or periodontal disease are situations in which this oral health is found to be impaired. We are currently studying the influence of this balance on the rest of the functions  and organs that we have.

Here we will explain to you the influence of oral health on fertility. We will also talk about its link with pregnancy because these two subjects are intimately linked.

Periodontal disease

Before we talk about the relationship between oral health and fertility, let’s explain what periodontal disease is. It seems to be  the disease most linked to fertility.

Periodontal disease  is a disorder that affects the gums. It consists of an inflammation of this area which, generally, appears because of poor dental hygiene. Tartar accumulates in this area. Tartar is a sticky layer made up of bacteria and food scraps that tend to harden.

Eventually, this tartar hardens and inflames the gum tissue. It slips between the teeth and affects their fixation, so that the teeth  can eventually fall out. Periodontal disease can go unnoticed but it can also cause pain or bleeding in the gums.

What is the link between oral health and fertility?

Until now, we have known about many factors that influence both fertility and oral health. For example,  we know that tobacco or aging are factors that play on these two aspects.

However, quite recently, studies have started on the direct link between oral health and the degree of fertility. According to the latest studies,  certain bacteria involved in periodontal disease are much more common in infertile women.

In other words, we could see that women who could not have children had a higher amount of these bacteria. One of them is Porphyromonas gingivalis.  It appears to produce inflammation in a woman’s genitals and therefore affects the chances of getting pregnant.

In addition, according to scientists at the University of Western Australia , women with periodontal disease can take up to seven months to become pregnant. 

Oddly enough, oral health had already been linked to other diseases. For example, with type 2 diabetes mellitus or arthritis. However, the discovery of this possible mechanism linked to fertility is a real novelty.

What is the relationship between oral health and pregnancy?

Pregnancy affects almost the whole body. Hormonal levels are altered throughout this process, regulating and deregulating physiological mechanisms. Estrogens, like progestagens, thus affect oral health.

It is very common for oral health to be affected from the second month of pregnancy. These hormones just mentioned alter the bacterial balance in our gums. As a result, the latter become much more susceptible to infections.

It is thus calculated that almost two thirds of pregnant women suffer from gingivitis during their pregnancy. Periodontal disease is also beginning to be associated with certain developmental complications of the baby. It could, for example, be linked to premature childbirth.

For all these reasons, it is currently recommended that you pay attention to your oral health, especially if you are thinking about getting pregnant or already are. It is important to visit your dentist regularly  and to maintain adequate dental hygiene.