Interesting...on the Dr. Oz show today

[Jean]

The show was about 5 different items ...that could lead to cancer.

One of the items was NOT flossing your teeth.
Chances of getting breast increased by 75%...in women who had gum disease. Not flossing your teeth and keeping your mouth and gums healthy from plague is
vital.

[Jackie07]

So now we have ourselves to blame for not being diligent in flossing and brushing?

I located the the script of the show and found that it was using the 'shocking' statement to sell some kind of product that's supposed to help prevent gum disease.

Went to PubMed and Medline - couldn't find anything on the subject. Many articles urge patient to be diligent in brushing their teech and protect their gums during chemotherapy...

Below is a link from a peridontal organization - notice that 'cancer' is not one of the consequences on the list...

http://www.perio.org/consumer/mbc.top2.htm

Oral hygiene is extremely important during cancer treatment as our immune system is under attack. But to link gum disease to breast cancer? Sorry, I'm not buying it.

[Here's an article from WebMD http://www.webmd.com/oral-health/fea...ody-connection which did not mention breast cancer, either.]

[Hopeful]

Could the common denominator be inflammation?

Hopeful

[ElaineM]

Bacteria can travel anywhere. If we don't brush or floss regularly I guess the bacteria in our mouths can travel anywhere. I guess not brushing or flossing regularly can lead to all kinds of mouth problems including gum disease. I suppose gum disease can cause alot of problems.
Whatever the reason we should try our best to brush and floss regularly even if we only do it to keep the dentist away !!!!!!! Smile everyone !!!!!!!!!

[KDR]

I, too, saw that program a few months ago and found it very enlightening. Theories have been that many cancer patients have periodontal or gum issues, or have just a bad go of it with dental issues. Then, silver fillings are also of concern and it's recommended they be removed from the body. Local Chinese herbalist doctors here in NYC read the mouth, teeth and tongue to get an idea of the body's overall health. Interesting.

[Jean]

It was an interesting show as it had a few other items to consider. I watched the show and this is not the first time I have heard about teeth care and gum disease causing health issues...such as heart attacks due to bacteria...while this was the first time I heard about 75% status in bc. The show was not selling a product - they were deomonstating a small pill that you chew after brushing ( my dentist has them) so I already knew of them..anyway this pill after chewing will display by color if you have flossed and brushed correctly.

I do think we have to consider that there are many paths to cancer and so many different reactions in our bodies that can halt or not halt the disease.
So much is still unknown.

Jean

[KirisMum]

Well, I'm toast, then. I've suffered from serious gum disease since my twenties, have had periodontal surgery a couple of times, and am NOT nearly as conscientious about flossing as I should be. I'm now in my late 50s, cancer free to the best of my knowledge, yet my 26-year-old daughter, who has always been obsessive about her dental care, brushes and flosses several times daily, and has the most excellent teeth and gums--not to mention smile--you could dream of, is battling Stage 2, grade 3, Node positive, er+, pr+, her2+++ IDC and DCIS, with all her (and her medical team's) might.

There may well be a connection, but I highly doubt it's cause and effect. (I haven't had any heart attacks, either, as far as I can recollect. But I do think I may dig out that waterpik... ;-) )

[Hopeful]

I too, have had above average dental hygiene (alternating cleanings with a dentist and perio every 4 months for 15+ years, and still got bc), however, I will never forget the chart on one of the walls in my dentist's office, that showed the circulatory system and all of the systemic affects to vital organs, etc., that could result from an abcessed tooth that went untreated. Blood poisioning was included. It made me realize just how important good dental hygiene is to our overall well being.

Hopeful

[Jean]

http://www.themoneytimes.com/feature...701709401.html

http://www.webmd.com/oral-health/new...se-cancer-risk

Additional information that certainly has merit.
jean

[Lien]

I developed my bc after a series of abcessed teeth, caused by substandard filling material. I had two molars extracted and still had a lot of inflammation.
It all started when my old dentist retired and another one took over the practice. He was trying to get rich fast. I later heard he was HIV positive, so I guess he thought he needed to make some money sooner rather than later.
Not saying there's a cause-effect situation here, but am wondering about the timing. I also took prednisone for a couple of weeks before my diagnosis.

Jacqueline

[Jackie07]

At the conclusion of the article from the first link:

"Dr Nigel Carter, chief executive of the British Dental Health Foundation, was quick to point out that more investigation is needed in this regard before any conclusive statements can be made."


My 'personal' experience makes me more lean on the reverse 'causal-effect'. Everyone in my family have great-looking teeth except me because I was born premature.

I've been told that my headaches were caused by not getting enough sleep - wheras it was because of the brain tumor that I was having nightmares while growing up.

Most of us have developed breast cancer that are caused by either genetic factor, environmental factor, or the combination of both. Breast cancer is usually not diagnosed until many years after the cancer has taken roots. During the time the patient (unaware of the cancer in her/his body) is more likely to have experienced fatigue and other vitamin deficiencies because of reduced energy and the toxins released from the tumor. So yes, their gums would have suffered...

I think ever since the link has been extablished between bacteria and the stomach ulcer, researchers just can't let go the 'bacteria' theory ...

"This is my 'theory' and I'm sticking to it." [Who's the one first used this expression? ]

[Mary Jo]

Have ALWAYS been a daily flosser! Has a very healthy mouth - gums and teeth!

[Barbara2]

I do think I recall a statement made on that show about inflammation of the gums caused by irritation from plaque or poor dental hygene, and that inflammation in the body can lead to cancer.

[Jackie07]

Thanks, Barbara (and Hopeful).

Found this nice summary from Cell explanning the tumor forming process in relation to inflammation (Click on the four illustraions after click on the following link):

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/20303878

[Cell. 2010 Mar 19;140(6):883-99.
Immunity, inflammation, and cancer.]

And the abstract below explains how exercise can reduce inflammation:

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/21446352

.

[Barbara2]

Jackie, both of those articles serve as a good reminder of things we need to fight/do on a daily basis. From the first article:
Inflammatory responses play decisive roles at different stages of tumor development, including initiation, promotion, malignant conversion, invasion, and metastasis. Inflammation also affects immune surveillance and responses to therapy. Immune cells that infiltrate tumors engage in an extensive and dynamic crosstalk with cancer cells, and some of the molecular events that mediate this dialog have been revealed. This review outlines the principal mechanisms that govern the effects of inflammation and immunity on tumor development and discusses attractive new targets for cancer therapy and prevention.

And the second article:
There is consensus that exercise training protects against some types of cancers. Training also enhances aspects of anti-tumour immunity and reduces inflammatory mediators. However, the evidence linking immunological and inflammatory mechanisms, physical activity, and cancer risk reduction remains tentative.

[Barbara2]

Excuse me??