Pancreatic Cancer Risk Increases Dramatically With Poor Gum Hygiene

Recent studies show that your risk of pancreatic cancer increases by 63 percent if you do not care for your gums properly. Gum care only begins with brushing your teeth, flossing and using the occasional mouth rinse will clean and kill more of the bacteria that resides in your mouth which contributes to this increase in risk of pancreatic cancer. Worse conditions might even require treatment by your dentist to lower the inflammation of the gums which is common in peridontal  disease.

This study, which suggests that proper gum care can help lower pancreatic cancer risks, was conducted at the Harvard Medical School by a team of researchers led by Dominique S. Michaud and published in the Journal of the National Cancer Institute. The study focused on a group of more than 51,000 men and concluded that the inflammation associated with gum disease helps to promote the growth of cancer cells.

Interestingly this study also mimics the findings of a UK study which linked the inflammation associated with gum disease and dementia. It seems your dentist is right; you should floss more often. If studies like these keep coming out I wouldn’t be surprised to start hearing doctors give out this little mantra as well.

Personal Note

I would also like to add one little bit of my personal wisdom (or opinion depending on your point of view). It seems that many things are linked to chronic inflammation and as a result would put my money on limiting chronic inflammation any way possible. I would futher bet that the risks of many additional diseases and conditions are lowered significantly when inflammation is decreased. Basic anti-inflammatory medication such as ibuprofen has even been shown to be effective in limiting the risks of prostate cancer as well as protecting against Alzheimer's Disease. I’m not saying we should all start popping pills or anything like that but we should be cognizant of the wide associations that exist.

Personally speaking, I always seem to have minor inflammation in my tonsils. They’re never bad enough to warrant a trip to the doctor for tonsillitis but they always seem to be aggravated to some degree. I really should get them removed before I get too old. Some might argue that 29 is too old for tonsil removal but I think the pain is worth it in the long run. After all I look forward to experiencing another seven decades or so with no pain in my throat.

Another interesting thought is the anti-inflammatory diet which ranks food by their inflammatory effects on the body. I don’t know too much about this yet so I’ll save this thought for another time.

Source
Journal of the National Cancer Institute, Jan. 2007

Increase Brain Function by Flossing Your Teeth Every Day

The following study found a very easy way to increase brain function.

"People with gum disease have worse mental functioning than those whose gums are healthy according to a UK study. The researchers had 6,693 adults in their twenties through seventies take cognitive performance tests. They found that, regardless of age, those with bleeding gums or tooth problems caused by inflamed gums scored worse. This finding suggests that system-wide inflammation due to gum disease causes damage to white matter in the brain, resulting in deficits in mental function. Flossing every day will help keep your gums healthy and your mind sharp."

Related
Progressive brain damage via aging can also be minimized by eating fish. It's possible that the inflammation related to gum disease might be offset by eating fish... but you should probably floss anyway.

UPDATE 8/28/09: How about more reasons to floss; inflammation of the gums is also associated with an increased risk of pancreatic cancer.
Source
This quote originated from the April 2009 issue of Best Life magazine: