Oral Health Connected with Head/Neck Cancer
September 8, 2009 by Marijke Durning, RN
Filed under Diseases & Conditions
It’s already known that your oral health – the condition of your gums, in particular – can have an effect on your heart healthy, but now researchers are finding that there may also be a connection with head and neck cancers.
Chronic periodontitis, progressive bone loss and loosening of soft tissue surrounding the teeth, was to add to the risk of head and neck cancers, in particular, cancers in the mouth. In a study published in the most recent issue of Cancer Epidemiology, Biomarkers & Prevention, researchers came to this conclusion after after studying 463 patients (207 control patients).
“Although the study is comparatively small, the researchers were able to also see an association between bone loss and the risk of head and neck cancer.”
However, the researchers acknowledged that more research needs to be done into other factors, such as tobacco use (smoking and chewing).
What can you do to help improve your oral health?
According to the Canadian Dental Association, besides brushing and flossing,
How often you go for a check up depends on your oral health needs. The goal is to catch small problems early. For many people, this means a check up every six months. Your dentist may suggest that you visit more or less often depending on how well you care for your teeth and gums, problems you have that need to be checked or treated, how fast tartar builds up on your teeth, and so on.
Do you get your teeth checked often enough?
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Image: Newscom.com
In many countries dental health is not treated with the importance it should be, in third world countries less than 30% percent of population visit their dentist twice a year. In any case tooth brushing three times per day is more than enough to prevent unhealthy oral conditions.