Good dental health can help prevent head and neck cancer

Dental Care & Health Care Articles
Good dental health can help prevent head and neck cancer
Updated: 9/8/2009 7:00:22 PM
Print Article
Email Article

The American Dental Association suggests that adults brush and floss their teeth at least twice each day in order to avoid developing periodontal disease. However, if this isn't enough incentive to maintain good dental health, new research shows that caring for your teeth may keep cancer away. Research from the school of dental medicine at the University of Buffalo indicates that individuals with severe gum disease are at a higher risk of developing squamous cell carcinoma of the head or neck. The team found that even though some of the research subjects did not use tobacco, they were still at risk for developing this condition if they had a bad case of periodontitis, where the bone was affected as well as the gums. However, scientist and assistant professor Mine Tezal stressed that more studies needed to be completed to confirm this for certain. "The researchers were able to also see an association between bone loss and the risk of head and neck cancer," stated Dr Andrew Olshan, who worked on this study. Regular dental checkups are therefore essential to make sure teeth and gums are healthy. © 2009 Brafton Inc.