How skipping out on regular dental visits leads to cancer

You know that you’re supposed to see the dentist at least once a year and have your teeth cleaned and checked.

But, are you following through?

Like many people, I’m absolutely terrible about keeping up with my yearly dental checkups. Since I always make sure to brush and floss my teeth and have never had cavities or any other issues, I simply don’t worry much about seeing the dentist.

That is, I didn’t worry about it until I read the results of a new study by researchers at the University of Toronto that examined a massive amount of data over an 11-year period.

And guess what? I’ll never skip a dental exam again…

Your dentist could save you from cancer

The Toronto team looked at over 63,400 biopsies performed by dentists over that time frame and then compared them to the Ontario Cancer Registry, which tracks all reported cancers in the province.

And, the data showed a steep rise in the overall numbers of carcinomas (oral cancers) and dysplasia (pre-cancerous lesions) detected by dentists.

Overall, 828 cases of oral cancer were diagnosed during that 11-year period, along with 2,679 premalignant lesions. But over time, the percentage of oral cancer detection by oral health professionals rose significantly.

In the first year of the study, only 56 cases of oral cancer and 99 cases of oral epithelial dysplasia were detected through biopsy.

By the final year, on the other hand, the number of cancers detected through biopsy had nearly doubled, and in the case of dysplasia, tripled.

The researchers say that these numbers have a very important significance…

“These numbers are important because the number of diagnosed cases outpaced both the rise in population in Ontario and the increased number of dentists licensed in Ontario,” says University of Toronto clinician-scientist Marco Magalhaes.

According to the team, this means that dentists are playing an important role in detecting the deadly disease.

While advanced oral cancers are fairly easy to detect, they say, premalignant lesions and early cancer can be easy to miss without specialized training. However, early detection of oral cancers is critical to survival.

Basically, the results of this first-of-its-kind study come down to one thing – dentists are detecting more cases of oral cancer and pre-cancer than ever before and it’s saving lives.

Make an appointment, posthaste

This means that if you haven’t had a dental checkup lately, it’s time to make an appointment.

Need more reasons to quit putting it off?

According to Dr. Isaac Eliaz, a renowned integrative medical doctor, seeing your dentist regularly could help you prevent other types of cancer as well. Check out how your dental health could be at the root of a cancer diagnosis and read real patient stories that show the power of your oral health over your disease susceptibility.

And, if you’re over 55 (the age when almost all oral cancers are diagnosed), be sure to follow these proactive tips to keep your mouth young, from my colleague, Joyce Hollman.

Most of all, do what I did, and stop waiting. Call your dentist today and set up a time for your checkup.

Sources:

1. Oral cancer detection by dentists is significantly on the rise — EurekAlert!