Reduce the risk of palate cancer thanks to dental floss

That's the finding of a study presented March 31 at the American Association for Cancer Research (AACR) annual conference.

In an unpublished article in peer-reviewed journals, the authors said that they have collected and analyzed data on oral health behavior of patients - diagnosed with oral cancer in the period. 2011 - 2014 section at the ENT clinic of the Comprehensive Cancer Center, Ohio State University; then compare with non-cancer patients (visit for other reasons such as dizziness, tinnitus .). All participants were asked to answer survey questions, regarding daily issues such as frequency of dental flossing, dentists, smoking and drinking habits .

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The study's lead author, Jitesh Shewale - who is currently working on postdoc at MD Anderson Cancer Center of the University of Texas (Houston) - said the oral cancer is usually divided into two forms: by spreading the papillomavirus (HPV). sexually transmitted, and other causes. After adjusting for factors including age, gender, socio-economic status and race, the team found that HPV-negative people often visit dentists less than once a year and are at risk. palate cancer is twice as high as those who work hard to see. Similarly, people who use dental floss less than once a day are twice as likely to be HPV-negative. In other words, poor oral hygiene seems to be associated with an increased risk of oral cancer (not caused by HPV).

However, the study has not been able to show the cause-effect relationship between poor oral hygiene and cancer in people who have had oral HPV infection, despite the hypothesis that microbiomes [in the oral cavity] may have played some role. Many previous studies have also found evidence that poor oral hygiene practices will cause transitions within the microbiota [oral], which increase the risk of chronic inflammation, and [yes can] even the progression of cancer. While HPV-positive oral cancer usually affects the tongue and tonsils primarily, the negative HPV damages the oral cavity.

Denise Laronde - Associate Professor of Dentistry at the University of British Columbia, who did not participate in the study - said, this is really an 'interesting' study, but it is too early to come to a final conclusion as lack of data. However, as most of us are often less interested in the link between dental health and the rest of the body, Laronde expects new research to help promote awareness of the importance of use. Floss , 'not only for cleaning teeth, but also for protecting health' .