Poor oral health has been associated with higher instances of migraines, abdominal and body pain in women, research from the University of Sydney has revealed.

Published in Frontiers in Pain Research, the world-first study identified specific oral microbes correlated with certain pain conditions, suggesting a potential relationship between the oral microbiome and the nervous system.

The findings highlighted the importance of good oral health to potentially mitigate pain and improve overall wellbeing, prompting further exploration into the role of oral microbiota in chronic unexplained pain conditions. This includes fibromyalgia, a condition experienced by 67 per cent of the study participants.

Joanna Harnett, lead investigator and associate professor from the Faculty of Medicine and Health, said, “This is the first study to investigate oral health, oral microbiota and pain commonly experienced in women with fibromyalgia, with our study showing a clear and significant association between poor oral health and pain.”

Sharon Erdrich, first author and PhD candidate in the Faculty of Medicine and Health, said, “Our findings are particularly important to fibromyalgia which, despite being a common rheumatological condition, is often underrecognised.

“Fibromyalgia is a chronic condition characterised by widespread musculoskeletal pain and headaches, as well as fatigue, sleep disturbances, and cognitive problems.”

Oral health research

The research examined associations between self-reported oral health, the oral microbiome, and various pain presentations in a group of New Zealand women with and without fibromyalgia.

Oral health was assessed using the WHO oral health questionnaire and evaluated against body pain, headaches, migraines, and abdominal pain using validated instruments, including the Short-form 36 (which measures quality of life), the International Headache Society headache survey and the functional bowel disorder severity index. Strong associations were evident between oral health scores and pain and each of these were associated with specific microbes found in the mouth, which were assessed using advanced genomic technology.

Participants with the poorest oral health were more likely to suffer from higher pain scores. Sixty per cent were more likely to experience moderate to severe body pain, and 49 per cent were more likely to experience migraine headaches. Poorer oral health was a statistically significant predictor of frequent and chronic migraines.

Four oral microbial species from the Dialister, Fusobacterium, Parvimonas and Solobacterium genera were significantly associated with pain after age, BMI and added dietary sugars were considered.

A weak but significant inverse correlation with diet quality and oral health was also found, though the researchers noted this has yet to be investigated in detail.

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