Don’t ignore oral hygiene. Severe gum disease linked to lung, colon cancers

Do you have bad oral health? Beware, you may be at high risk of developing cancers of lung, colon and pancreas, researchers have warned. Advanced gum disease, also called periodontitis, is caused by bacterial infection that damages the soft tissue and bone that supports the teeth. The findings, led by researchers from the Tufts University in the US, showed that participants who were edentulous or lacking teeth – a sign of severe periodontitis – had an 80% increase in risk of developing colon cancer. Periodontitis is also linked with pancreatic…

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Gum Disease Linked to Heart Disease

A report from The Netherlands adds to the evidence tying chronic gum disease to heart disease and stroke. In a study of more than 60,000 dental patients, those with gum disease were twice as likely to have had a heart attack, stroke or severe chest pain. Previous studies have linked periodontitis and clogged arteries, but this is the first to investigate the link in a group of people this large, the researchers say. At the Academic Centre for Dentistry Amsterdam, the largest dental school in the Netherlands, investigators reviewed the…

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