Link between gum health and stomach and gastric cancer

New research shows that your gum health is not only important for oral hygiene. Brushing your teeth and flossing can help you ward off cancer

 

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The health of your gums is crucial not only to keep your breath fresh and ensure you keep your teeth. Researchers at Harvard University have now discovered that gum disease (gingivitis) increases your risk of throat and stomach cancer by as much as 50 per cent.

  • A history of gum disease is associated with a 43% increased risk of oesophageal (throat) cancer and a 53% increased risk of gastric (stomach) cancer.
  • The risk is even higher in those who have lost one or more teeth due to gum disease.

Previous studies have found that there is a link between bacteria commonly found in the mouth and oesophageal cancer, and it is now thought that gum disease could promote the formation of bacteria known to cause gastric cancer.

 

Self-help for gum disease

There is no substitute for thorough brushing twice a day along with flossing and using TePe brushes, plus regular visits to a dental hygienist. But along with these measures we suggest the following, especially if you have pockets in your gum that cannot be effectively cleaned by anyone but your dentist:

  • Colloidal silver: use it as a mouth wash and spray it into problem areas. It reduces inflammation and is antibacterial, anti-fungal, anti-microbial and antiseptic. For more information on the benefits of colloidal silver click here. £13 for 100ml, pop in to buy.
  • Probiotics. Improving the health of your gut microbiome boosts your overall immunity which will help your body fight the gum bacteria. For details of our range of probiotics click here.
  • Sonic toothbrush. Relatively new to the market, these are causing a buzz – literally – among dentists. Sonic toothbrushes vibrate at around 10 times the rate of an electric toothbrush, so your two-minute brushing session with one of these will give you more cleaning power. Plus, because of the much higher brush speed, sonic toothbrushes agitate the fluids in the mouth (water, saliva, and toothpaste), effectively turning them into cleaning agents that reach into crevices that the brush can’t access, like between teeth and below the gum line.In a six-month study comparing the effectiveness of sonic toothbrushes and standard electric toothbrushes in people with gum disease users of both toothbrush types saw improvements in their overall oral health, but the sonic toothbrush proved significantly more successful at removing plaque, reducing gum disease and improving tooth and gum health.

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