Women who don’t brush and floss frequently are more likely to suffer from migraines and fibromyalgia, a new study led by researchers in Australia, has found.

Results of the study are published in the journal ‘Frontiers in Pain Research’. Women with the worst oral health have a 60 per cent higher risk of moderate to severe body pain, and a 49 per cent greater risk of migraine headaches.

Mouth microbes that flourish with a lack of brushing and flossing are likely responsible for this link, researchers said. Fibromyalgia is a chronic (long-lasting) disorder that causes pain and tenderness throughout the body, as well as fatigue and trouble sleeping.

People with the disorder have an increased sensitivity to pain. “This is the first study to investigate oral health, oral microbiota and pain commonly experienced in women with fibromyalgia, with our study showing a clear and significant association between poor oral health and pain,” senior researcher Joanna Harnett said in a news release.

She is an associate professor of complementary medicines at the University of Sydney in Australia.