In a June 2026 presentation at the annual meeting of the American Headache Society, researchers reported that for some patients with chronic migraines, replacing toothpaste with a saline solution reduced the number of headaches that they suffered.
Before the study began, participants averaged three migraines each week. Half of them continued using toothpaste. The other half were told to use a salt water solution instead. Every week, for 4 weeks, the participants reported how many headaches they developed and how severe they
were.
During the first three weeks, there was no difference. But on the fourth week, those who were using salt water had fewer and less severe headaches.
Switching from toothpaste to saline for brushing teeth was associated with significant reductions in migraine frequency and severity, a new short-term study suggests.
As the Medscape article reports, many ingredients in toothpaste could cause allergic reactions, which could manifest as headaches. This study was quite small, and would require further studies with longer follow-up to confirm.
Having said that, it seems like a very easy intervention to try. The benefit from home dental care comes primarily from brushing and flossing, not from toothpaste, so using salt water instead for a month or two should have no ill effects.
