Not Brushing Your Teeth Could Lead to Mouth Cancer – Men More at Risk
By: MouthCancer.org| Articles
The UK’s leading oral health charity is warning men to take extra care of their teeth after a gum condition caused by poor oral health was linked to tongue cancer. The British Dental Health Foundation was speaking after a study by the Roswell Park Cancer Institute in America found that gum disease – which has already been linked to heart disease, heart attacks, strokes, diabetes and low birth weight babies – can increase a males’ tongue cancer risk by more than five times in its advanced form.
Gum Disease
The warning comes follows this year’s Mouth Cancer Awareness Week campaign which was launched at the House of Commons this month. Mouth cancer kills one person every five hours in the UK and the condition is twice as common in men as in women.
Dr Nigel Carter, chief executive of the Foundation, commented: “We already know that poor oral health can have a big impact on the rest of your body but the fact that it could ultimately lead to cancer will be a big shock to a lot of people.
“Now more than ever men – and women – need to adopt a good oral healthcare routine. Brushing twice a day with fluoride toothpaste, cutting down how often you have sugary foods and drinks and visiting the dentist regularly will not only benefit your smile – it could also save your life!”
The National Dental Survey 2007, conducted by the Foundation in association with HSA, found that men brush their teeth less often, spend less time brushing their teeth and change their toothbrush less frequently than women and all of these could increase their risk of developing gum disease.
Dr Carter continued: “Gum disease is actually quite a common condition. In fact it affects around 19 out of 20 of us at some point in our lives.
“The important thing is that it is not allowed to get out of control as it is in its advanced form that it starts to pose a serious risk.
“Early signs of gum disease include swollen and bleeding gums and it can also cause bad breath. If you are concerned that you might have gum disease you should visit your dentist for a check up.
“An additional benefit of this is that your dentist is also trained to spot the early signs of mouth cancer and, with early detection increasing survival chances from one in two to nine out of ten, this provides another important reason to maintain regular dental visits.”
Early signs of mouth cancer can include an ulcer that won’t heal, a lump or a red or white patch in the mouth.
