| Park Dae-yoon, President of UDI Dooam Dental Clinic (Photo courtesy of UDI Dental Clinic) © News 1 |
If left untreated, periodontal disease in the mouth not only harms teeth and gums, but also increases the risk of cancer.
Park Dae-yoon, president of Udido Cancer Dental Clinic, said, “Periodontal disease is caused by relatively simple causes, but it should be considered in relation to the health of the whole body, not just the mouth. It is necessary to manage the health of the gums along with the management of systemic diseases. It was announced on the 13th that it should not be seen.
Periodontal disease is an inflammatory disease caused by bacteria. It is characterized by dark red gums and bleeding. In the early stage, there are no subjective symptoms, so it is often left untreated, but later, when you visit the dentist because the tooth shakes and you feel pain, a significant part of it worsens and treatment is difficult in many cases.
If the bone has melted due to periodontal disease, the tooth must be extracted, implanted, or dentures must be placed. However, the reason periodontal disease is more dangerous is that it is linked to general health.
According to Director Park Dae-yoon, bacteria and inflammatory substances and metabolites introduced through the oral cavity can cause problems with the immune system in the blood vessels formed in the gums or alveolar bone. At this time, if there is periodontal disease, the inflammatory substance spreads throughout the body and increases the risk of cancer by helping cancer cells to multiply.
In fact, in a study conducted by a research team at Harvard University’s Graduate School of Public Health and about 98,000 women and 49,000 men, among 238 people with stomach cancer and 199 people with throat cancer, those who had periodontal disease had more stomach cancer than those who didn’t. The incidence rate was 52% and the incidence of throat cancer was 43% higher. Also, those who lost two or more teeth had a 33% increase in stomach cancer and a 42% increase in throat cancer compared to those who did not.
Director Park Dae-yoon advised, “People with poor gum health are prone to the proliferation of cancer-causing bacteria, and the longer the gum disease, the more likely it is to develop cancer.
Helicobacter pylori, the causative agent of gastritis and gastric cancer, is also found in saliva, calculus, and oral mucosa. If you are infected with Helicobacter pylori, the overall treatment effect is high if you treat the gums with medication or scaling.
Director Park Dae-yoon said, “As the bacteria in the mouth are involved in various systemic diseases, it is necessary to take good care of eating habits and brushing teeth so that dangerous bacteria do not grow.”
jjsung@news1.kr
