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06 Jun 2008
People could be increasing their risk of cancer by failing to manage their oral health effectively, it has come to light.
New research conducted by Imperial College London has found that people with gum disease are 14 per cent more likely to develop cancer.
According to the findings, people with gum disease are 36 per cent more likely to develop lung cancer, 49 per cent more likely to develop kidney cancer, 54 per cent more likely to develop pancreatic cancer and 30 per cent more likely to develop hematologic cancers, such as leukaemia.
The large scale study revealed that with 29 per cent of people suffering from bleeding gums, early detection and treatment is paramount.
Simon Howell, director of campaigns at the British Dental Health Foundation, commented: "In the UK, there is a death from mouth cancer every five hours."
Smoking and drinking alcohol are known to be the main risk factors of mouth cancers and are thought to account for around 80 per cent of cases.
Experts warn that ignoring any bleeding, unhealed mouth ulcers or changes inside the mouth "can be deadly".
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