The connection between dental health and overall health....the "Oral systemic link" is widely recognized. Most of the studies related to periodontal ( gum support) disease and heart disease, stroke, diabetes and low birth weight babies. It makes sense to expect that infection in one area of the body is bound to affect other areas. But this new study has an interesting twist.
Male infertility is often connected to connected to chronic bacterial infection of the epididymis. This is the structure that "stores" semen. This study from Germany showed a direct connection between male sterility and dental infections. An abstract with the references is below.
They only studied those that were resistant to antiobiotic therapy. I wonder if the results would be even better if all of the sterile subjects were included in the study.
One more reason to make dental health and its maintenance a high priority!
Bacterial foci in the teeth, oral cavity, and jaw--secondary effects (remote action) of bacterial colonies with respect to bacteriospermia and subfertility in males.
Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Halle-Wittenberg, Germany.
Bacteriospermia requiring medical treatment were diagnosed in more than 70% of the subfertile patients who had since 1988 attended the gynecological clinic at the RWTH hospital in Aachen. In 23% of all cases specific treatment with antibiotics did not reduce the concentrations of bacteria in sperma. Thirty-six patients with bacteriospermia resistant to antibiotic therapy were then subjected to dental examination. A high incidence of potential dental foci was found in all patients. In a test group of 18 patients these sources of potential infection were eliminated. Between dental operations and therapy swabs were taken to determine bacterial levels and bacteriological composition. It could be demonstrated that the bacterial spectrum of the intraoral samples was almost identical with the spermiograms. Six months following completion of dental treatment a further spermiogram analysis was carried out. In the test group about two thirds of the spermiograms proved sterile. Spermatological parameters, such as motility, density and morphology, had also clearly improved. In the control group the findings of the spermiogram remained poor. This study indicates that a direct causal relationship exists between bacterial colonies (dental foci) and therapy-resistant bacteriospermia which probably leads to subfertility.
This is my first time that i read an article states that the dental health affects the fertility. thanks for the valuable information you've shared upon us. I learned something new that i share with my friends.
-heather-
Posted by: cosmetic dentists in san diego | February 01, 2009 at 08:06 PM