Periodontal disease linked to increased risk of developing head and neck cancer

Periodontal disease linked to increased risk of developing head and neck cancer

A study recently published in "Cancer Epidemiology, Biomarkers and Prevention" shows that periodontal disease increases the risk of developing head and neck cancer, the results suggesting that for each millimeter of bone that supports the tooth material lost through erosion caused by periodontal disease, risk it increases over 4 times.

The study, which took into account other risk factors such as consumption of nicotine or tobacco products, compared the incidence rate of periodontitis among the 226 people who suffered from cancer of the throat or head to that of a control group of 207 people.

The link between periodontal disease and risk of developing head and neck cancer showed in the results, to be the most powerful among people suffering from cancer of the mouth, the oropharynx and larynx.

A surprising result for researchers the link between periodontitis and the risk of developing head and neck cancer among smokers, which proved to be weaker than in former smokers and non-smokers.