We’ve all known someone who seems to catch every sniffle and fever that arrives during the winter. The government, plus dental and medical professions, have studied the connection between overall health and oral health. Two recent studies really caught my attention because they were large-scale studies investigating this topic. Here’s a synopsis of their published results:
A Tufts University School of Medicine included almost 7500 participants who had undergone dental exams. Of them, over 1600 developed cancer (Journal of the National Cancer Institute; US study led by Dr. Dominique Mishaud). The highest incidence was in lung cancer and colorectal cancer. A similar study in Finland also suggests that severe gum disease possibly increases the likelihood of dying from the disease. There are other correlations in professional publications, should you want to investigate.
Now don’t go around chastising non-flossers that they are asking for cancer, because Dr. A said so! It just demonstrates that the culprits of cancer are now being evaluated with dental health, and oral microbes, in mind. This is a huge step forward.
Contact Winterset Dental to schedule your appointment.