Cancer Gets Its Start in Our Mouths, Stressing Oral Care More Than Ever
Dental care goes far beyond maintaining our teeth and new research is pointing toward oral care’s involvement in cancer.
Brushing your teeth and regular visits to your dental hygienist should be high on your list of preventive care when it comes to cancer and Alzheimer’s disease/dementia. Alterations to the oral microbiome raise the risk of disease, but a balanced microbiota helps avoid cancer.
One study indicated that the risk of stomach cancer is 52% higher in persons who have a history of gum disease. People with over a dozen types of bacteria in their mouths are 50% more likely to develop head and neck squamous cell carcinoma. Dental care, in the simplest terms, is vital if you want to remain as disease-free as possible. It’s not a guarantee but look at the statistics.
Our perspective on dental hygiene needs to be adjusted. More and more, research is coming to the conclusion that taking care of it could be the hidden key to a longer and better life.
A healthy oral microbiome, which includes the 700 or so species of bacteria, fungi, and viruses that call our mouths home, is more important than perfect teeth in and of itself. Neglecting our dental hygiene can lead to systemic infections that are worse or cause conditions including arthritis…
