Brushing your teeth not only prevents fillings, it could decrease your risk of dying from cancer. A study has found that dental plaque can increase the chance of a premature death by up to 80%.
Research conducted on 1,400 randomly selected adult participants from 1985 to 2009 found that out of 58 deaths, 35 were from cancer. In these 35, considerably higher levels of dental plaque were found than in those who were still alive. They found a link between high levels of dental plaque, or bacteria, and dying from cancer up to 13 years earlier than might otherwise be expected.
Although the findings (published in the online journal BMJ Open) support the research hypothesis that “poor mouth hygiene, as reflected in the amount of dental plaque, was associated with increased cancer mortality,” the findings only support the theory of correlation, not causation. The observations show an association between the variables yet further studies would be required to determine if a causal element exists.
In response to this study we believe it underpins our philosophy that a strong and regimented dental health regime is essential and forms part of a total healthy body attitude.
[button_dark size=”medium” url=”http://bmjopen.bmj.com/content/2/3/e001083.short?g=w_open_current_tab”]Read the journal here[/button_dark]