Oral Cancer Responsible Virus Linked to Gum Disease

It has been recently scientifically proven that severe gum disease can actually be associated with the neck and head cancer development.

Now, it has been further brought to light that patients who have got HPV-positive tumors in their systems are exposed to a great risk of major bone density loss.

As you might know, severe bone loss is one of the leading factors causing severe gum disease.

Today in the UK alone, there are approximately 6,000 patients with oral cancer, and every year 2,000 patients lose the fight with the disease.

Oral cancer cases directly linked to HPV are on a continuous rise, and in a few years, oral cancer caused by this virus might outnumber the cases where the disease is caused by smoking or drinking alcohol.

The research is even more important than some may think. It has been clearly noted that patients loose more teeth due to periodontal disease than to tooth decay.

In the Archives of Otolaryngology there was published the result of a study involving about 124 patients with oral cancer. It was discovered that in as many as 50 patients from the study, the disease was caused by the Human Papilloma Virus.

In the past, poor oral health and oral cancer have been linked together several times. Still, even more in depth research is needed to make a clear, medical and scientific link between severe gum disease and oral cancer due to HPV infection.

Even more so, a recent study led by Swedish researchers has proved that people who do not respect a regular and proper dental hygiene regimen, could easily increase their risk of dying prematurely from cancer.

After analyzing hundreds of past cases, the researchers proved that accumulated dental plaque can actually raise cancer mortality, and many patients have died of the disease even 13 years prematurely.

Experts from all over the world advise patients to ask their dentist to make regular checkups for early signs of oral cancer. The oral cancer can be cured, but only if discovered in incipient phases, when the disease has not spread to the lymph nodes or other vital organs in the system.