The Link Between Poor Oral Health and Chronic Pain in Women - AI Podcast

Story at-a-glance

• Women with chronic migraines and body-wide pain were far more likely to have poor oral health, with over half falling into the lowest oral health categories in a new study
• Specific oral bacteria, including Mycoplasma salivarium and Gardnerella vaginalis, were significantly more common in women who reported frequent migraines and widespread pain
• Harmful oral microbes don’t stay in your mouth; once gum tissue is inflamed, these bacteria enter your bloodstream, disrupt the immune system, and trigger systemic pain
• A less diverse oral microbiome was found in women with migraines and gut pain, making it easier for pain-triggering bacteria to dominate and inflame nerve pathways
• Inflammatory chemicals produced by oral bacteria — like calcitonin gene-related peptide (CGRP) and vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) — are directly involved in migraine and fibromyalgia, showing how poor oral hygiene can set off whole-body pain responses