Link Found Between HPV And Poor Dental Health
Cases of throat cancer have increased over the last few years, with numerous causes sited for the disease. Smoking and drinking have been named as two such reasons for the problem, but fingers have now been pointed at poor oral health and its connection with the human papillomavirus or HPV.
The University of Texas Health Sciences Center in Houston studied the data collected but the 2009-2010 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES), which was carried out by the National Center for Health Statistics of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). The findings concerned the dental health of 3,439 people, whose dental health was assessed on the basis of: their own rating of their oral health, whether they suffered from gum disease, how many teeth they had lost and whether they had to use mouth wash to cope with their dental problems.
The study found that those who suffered from poor oral health had a 55% higher chance of developing HPV that those without. The participants suffering with gum disease were also found to have a 51% increase in risk of the disease.
Other risk factors were found, such as smoking and oral sex but it has been suggested that more research is needed to find out how the virus works and how it enters the body. In regards to poor dental health and its connection with the disease it has been suggested that:
brushing your teeth twice daily, keeping your brush clean through rinsing, replacing your tooth brush every 3 months and making sure that the inside, outside and in betweens of teeth are thoroughly cleaned, will all keep the mouth in a healthier condition, which may potentially prevent the HPV virus entering the body through the mouth.
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