Jerusalem, 27 May, 2026 (TPS-IL) — Chronic inflammation in the mouth may impair female fertility by triggering biological changes that extend far beyond the mouth, Israeli scientists announced on Tuesday.
Researchers at the Hebrew University-Hadassah Medical Center found that persistent oral inflammation was linked to reduced egg quality, disrupted ovarian development and lower birth rates in laboratory models.
“This is the first time that chronic inflammation in the mouth and its effect on fertility are being examined specifically,” lead researcher Professor Michael Klutstein told The Press Service of Israel. “People do not think enough in this direction, of linking gum inflammation to fertility. We arrived at this because we wanted to see how inflammation in a distant organ affects the ovary.”
The research, led by Klutstein together with Professor Asaf Wilensky, was published in the peer-reviewed Journal of Dental Research.
The researchers used a mouse model designed to mimic oral inflammation associated with dental implants, a common clinical condition, in order to examine whether localized inflammation in the mouth could trigger broader systemic effects.
According to the study, the inflammatory response did not remain confined to the mouth. Rather, immune signals spread through the body and reached the ovaries, where researchers observed increased levels of inflammatory molecules, changes in immune cell populations and signs of oxidative damage to ovarian tissue. Oxidative damage refers to cellular harm caused by unstable oxygen molecules that damage DNA, proteins and cell membranes.
Reproductive Impact
The findings were accompanied by unmistakable reproductive problems.
Mice affected by chronic oral inflammation showed impaired follicle development, reduced egg quality and significantly lower live birth rates compared to control groups, according to the study.
“The mechanism we identified, of oxidative damage reaching the ovary, is a mechanism to which human ovaries are also very sensitive. It makes a lot of sense. It has still not been studied specifically in humans, but we plan clinical studies in the future,” Klutstein said.
He added that even short-term inflammation could cause long-lasting damage that is hard to reverse in the ovaries, although an exact threshold for risky inflammation duration cannot be specified.
The study also identified deeper cellular changes linked to reproductive aging.
The researchers found that oocytes, or immature egg cells, exhibited DNA damage and epigenetic alterations resembling those typically associated with age-related fertility decline. According to Klutstein, this realization may have far-reaching ramifications.
“In the future, we want to develop a treatment so that any woman who has some kind of risk will take an anti-inflammatory drug before beginning fertility treatments, and that way we hope their effectiveness will increase. This can also help older women, who usually go through IVF treatments, because it may fix aging damage to the ovaries.”
Klutstein recommended that women trying to become pregnant pay close attention to their oral health.
“Women who notice prolonged gum bleeding and are trying to get pregnant should seek dental care,” he said. “I am in favor of health funds including oral health treatments in fertility treatment protocols. A doctor can also recommend that a patient go and get checked.”