Contents:
- Medical Video: NIDCR - The Concise Oral Exam
- Overview of head and neck cancer
- Why does chronic gum pain increase a person's risk of head and neck cancer?
- What can be done to prevent head and neck cancer
Medical Video: NIDCR - The Concise Oral Exam
During this time you may consider trivial, swollen and bleeding gums. Indeed, most cases of bleeding gums are mild so you may not realize you have this condition. But this does not mean you have to keep letting it go untreated. A study reports that your risk is affected Head and neck cancer can increase dramatically if you experience chronic gum disease (periodontitis). How can?
Well, before discussing more about the connection between chronic gum pain and head and neck cancer, it's good to know first what is head and neck cancer.
Overview of head and neck cancer
Head and neck cancer is the development of a number of malignant tumors around the tissues and organs of the head and neck. Thus, these cancers may include laryngeal cancer (vocal cords), throat cancer, oral cancer (including lips), nose and sinus cancer, and / or cancer of the salivary glands.
Head and neck cancer is found in the age group 50 years and over, although it does not rule out the possibility of being able to attack young children. The risk of adult men having head and neck cancer is twice as high as that of women.
Head and neck cancer is not as popular as other cancers, such as breast cancer or cervical cancer. However, do not consider this type of cancer trivial because your life can be a bet if you don't get the right treatment right away. The number of people with head and neck cancer in Indonesia alone has reached 32 thousand people per year.
Why does chronic gum pain increase a person's risk of head and neck cancer?
Smoking is the biggest risk factor for neck and head cancer. But not many realize that chronic gum disease, which isin medical terms called periodontitis, it is also one of the most common causes of this type of cancer.
Periodontitis is a continuation of untreated gum gingivitis. The bacteria that causes inflammation of the gums,Porphyromonas gingivalis, releasing toxins that cause plaque to accumulate between the teeth, which then infects and damages the soft tissue of the gums and bones that support the teeth.
BacteriaPorphyromonas gingivalishas long been associated with the development of malignant tumor cells in the tissue around the head and neck, because the toxins released include free radicals that are carcinogenic (trigger cancer).
This theory is reinforced by a study published in Cancer Epidemiology, Biomarkers, and Prevention. The researcher found thatevery millimeter of loss of the jaw bone due to chronic gum disease is associated with an increased risk of head and neck cancer more than four times.
Researchers also found that periodontitis was most associated with the development of oral cancer, oropharyngeal cancer(the back of the mouth and throat), and laryngeal cancer (ballot box).
What can be done to prevent head and neck cancer
One effective way to prevent head and neck cancer is to ensure that you maintain dental and oral hygiene. Here are some easy ways you can take care of your teeth and mouth:
- Diligently brush your teeth at least twice a day when you wake up in the morning and before you go to bed with certain fluoride-containing teeth.
- Flossing teeth at least once a day.
- Avoid consuming too much sweet food.
- Routinely consult a dentist at least 6 months to clean teeth and check teeth as a whole. Especially if you have a history of gum disease, routinely consult a doctor so you can get the right treatment to suit your needs.
- Do not smoke or stop smoking, including rolled tobacco, cigar, or pipe cigarettes; chewing tobacco; also electronic cigarettes.
