Can the dental plaque that causes tooth decay and gum disease cause cancer?
Brushing and flossing are a must for keeping plaque off your teeth and gums but having a healthy mouth may have other benefits for the rest of the body as poor dental health is linked to heart disease, stroke, diabetes and other health issues. And now following recent research studies it could be that good dental hygiene may also help lower your risk of dying of cancer.
Researchers at the Karolinska Institute and the University of Helsinki report in the British Medical Journal Open that people with high levels of dental plaque were 80% more likely to die prematurely of cancer during a 24-year study period than people with little plaque. The results were quite surprising.
1,390 people were randomly selected to participate in the study beginning in 1985. All of the volunteers came in for a dental exam, and the researchers recorded the amount of plaque, tartar, gum disease and tooth loss they had. People who showed signs of periodontal disease were excluded. The participants then filled out questionnaires detailing behaviours that can influence cancer risk, such as smoking.
By the end of the study, 4.2% had died of cancer, and when the scientists compared the amount of dental plaque in those who had died to those who survived, they found a significantly higher amount of dental plaque among the deceased. The association held strong even after the researchers accounted for factors that can contribute to both cancer risk and dental health, such as smoking, income level and education.
The average age of death for women was 61 and for men 60. Considering that the women would have been expected to live about 13 years longer, according to demographic data, and the men an additional 8.5 years, their deaths could be considered premature, the authors note.
The researchers had some idea that the link between dental plaque and cancer would be worth studying; in a previous trial, it was found that women who had more plaque were more likely to develop breast cancer.
The reason for the link probably has something to do with inflammation and that the same stressors and factors that can cause cancer can also contribute to poorer dental health.
Thousands of species of bacteria live in our mouths, and persistent plaque — made up of a thin film of bacteria, which covers the surface of teeth and accumulates between teeth and gums — can increase the chances of infection.
That, in turn, can trigger the body’s immune system to launch a defence in the form of an inflammatory reaction, which sends enzymes and other chemicals into the bloodstream that can push vulnerable cells to divide recklessly and form tumours.
Up to 20% of cancers are driven by some inflammatory process.
Based on this first analysis, it can’t be concluded that bad oral hygiene actually causes cancer; the data is only observational. But the association suggests that plaque could be a contributing factor in people with existing predispositions to cancer. “We don’t know if dental plaque could be a real causal part of cancer,” the researcher says. “But it is a little scary to see that something we all have in our mouths can play such a role.”
That’s certainly something to remember the next time you feel like dropping off to sleep without bothering to brush or floss.
Rachel is the founder and principal dentist at Evolve Dental Healing with over 30 years experience, practising holistically since 2001. Not your typical dentist, Rachel is a passionate opinion leader, challenging convention to empower people to make better dental and health choices, helping thousands to have healthy natural smiles. A respected writer and presenter on holistic dentistry, health and wellness it is Rachel’s mission to revolutionise the way people look at their dental health.