The Association Between Migraines and Periodontal Disease: A Systematic Review of Clinical Studies

Background: Recent studies have postulated several hypotheses explaining the association between migraines and periodontitis. We aimed to systematically review and assess if there is an association between inflammatory mediators in migraines and periodontal disease. Indexed database search was performed from inception up to and including April 2022. Data such as study design, study grouping, participants, age, sex, migraine characteristics, assessment criteria for periodontitis and outcomes were collected. Methodological index for non-randomized studies was used to assess the risk of bias. The systematic analysis format was personalized to review the appropriate information.

Highlights: Levels of pro-inflammatory mediators such as serum procalcitonin, leptin, calcitonin gene related peptide and interleukin-6 were elevated in patients with chronic periodontitis and migraines.

Conclusion: Chronic periodontitis may be a contributing factor for migraines. However, future standardized studies are required to understand the true relationship at a clinical and molecular level. This may better help in managing patients with comorbid conditions in the future.