poor oral health and fertility problems: A narrative Mini-Review

Background aim: Currently, it has been known that oral infections, especially periodontitis, may affect the pathogenesis of a number of systemic conditions. Evidence has also suggested a possible role of oral diseases in subfertility and infertility. Therefore, this study aimed to evaluate the association between poor oral health and fertility problems. Methods: In this narrative review, relevant English articles, or those with English abstracts with no publication date limitation, were extracted from PUBMED, Scopus, Science Direct and Google Scholar. Moreover, research keywords were “subfertility”, “infertility”, “sperm count”, “erectile dysfunction”, “conception”, “oral hygiene”, “oral infections”, “periodontitis” and “periodontal disease”. In total, 40 titles were found, from which letters to the editor, commentaries, as well as case reports and series were excluded, leading to the final assessment of 37 original articles. Results: In this study, a consistency was observed among studies conducted to assess the association between poor oral health and signs of fertility problems, such as improper spermatological parameters, erectile dysfunction (ED), increased time to conceive (TTC) and endometriosis. However, no significant association was observed between maternal periodontitis and male subfertility in future. Conclusion: According to the results of this study, oral hygiene could be an important component of general health and also a contributing factor for improved sexual health. Control of oral inflammation and regular dental check-ups by men and women, particularly prior to conceiving, could enhance reproductive ability.