Can Regular Brushing Guard Against CANCER?

By  |  0 Comments

Can Regular Brushing Guard Against CANCER?

Scientists claim that brushing your teeth regularly could reduce your risk of a type of cancer almost by a fifth.

There is a Link Between Common Mouth Bacteria’s And Oesophagus Cancer!

oesophageal cancer

The latest research on oral bacteria showed that some mouth bacteria that caused gum problems was associated with a high risk of oesophageal cancer. This bacteria is responsible for causing periodontal disease and is associated with a 21% increased risk of oesophageal cancer – the study concluded.

In fact, oesophageal cancer is the eighth most common cancer in the United Kingdom. It is also considered the sixth leading cause of cancer deaths worldwide. Most of the time, the condition isn’t diagnosed until it reaches the advanced stages. Hence, the five-year rates are quite low – ranging from 15-25% around the globe.

BexleyDental.com.au states,

Regular dental hygiene helps to maintain healthy teeth and gums. Not regularly visiting your dentist or hygienist can result in a number of issues, most notably gum disease. Known professionally as periodontal disease, poor dental maintenance allows plaque to build up in your mouth.  Plaque which soon hardens to form tartar which inflames and irritates your gums, damaging bones and ligaments around your mouth.”

 

Not only Will Regular Brushing Prevent Gum Disease but It Can Prevent Oesophageal Cancer!

Brushing your teeth

Oesophageal cancer is quite fatal. Hence, there is an urgent need in the scientific community to find new methods of preventing the condition. Jiyoung Ahn – a lead researcher at New York University – says, “Oesophageal cancer is a highly fatal condition. Hence, early detection is essential to stop cancer from spreading.” Previous studies have shown that the bacteria that cause periodontal disease is associated with different types of cancers such as oral,  neck, and head cancers.

The study also examined the link between these bacteria and the subsequent risk of oesophageal squamous cell carcinoma or oesophageal adenocarcinoma. There were two large health studies with the participation of more than 122,000 participants. Researchers collected oral wash samples from these participants. Over the 10 years of follow-up, more than 106 subjects developed oesophageal cancer.

Meeting doctor

This study by Prof Ahn confirms the link between good oral health and oesophageal cancer. Regular brushing and dental visits are very important to prevent certain cancers and associated health conditions. But the researchers didn’t have complete information on the oral health of the participants – which means they could not differentiate between a full-blown periodontal disease and the presence of pathogens as the major risk factor for oesophageal cancer.

The results of the study were published in the Cancer Research Journal – released by the American Association for Cancer Research.

Sarah Miller

Sarah writes about her personal journey, learning, life optimisation and her passions. For more thoughts and ideas, you can connect with Sarah on Twitter

[userpro template=postsbyuser user=author postsbyuser_num=4]

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published.