That's because lactic acid bacteria produced by cavities may be protective against cancer cells, the study authors said.
"This was an unexpected finding since dental cavities have been considered a sign of poor oral health along with periodontal disease, and we had previously observed an increased risk of head and neck cancers among subjects with periodontal disease," said lead researcher Dr. Mine Tezal, an assistant professor at the University at Buffalo, State University of New York.
Tezal was quick to note, however, that the finding doesn't mean people should let cavities develop in hopes of preventing these cancers.
"The main message is to avoid things that would shift the balance in normal microbial ecology, including overuse of antimicrobial products and smoking. Rather, you should maintain a healthy diet and good oral hygiene, by brushing and flossing," she said.
The report was published Sept. 12 in the online edition of JAMA Otolaryngology -- Head & Neck Surgery.
http://consumer.healthday.com/cancer-information-5/mis-cancer-news-102/tooth-cavities-linked-to-lower-risk-of-head-neck-cancer-study-680144.html
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Gary:
The "elephant in the room" is so obvious that this study, and the way it is being reported, leaves me rolling about on the floor, near paralyzed with laughter. Where did these people get their educations - Mars? Can't be from Earth.
The elephant is DENTAL X-RAYS
Evidence is growing that the prime cause of as many as 75% of all cancers is ionising and non-ionising radiation from sources including, medical and dental procedures, cell and cordless phones, nuclear reactors and even airport body scanners. Other carcinogens include hormone therapy (HRT, oestrogen contraceptives), toxins (arsenic, fluoride, many prescription drugs, bisphenols etc) and sun burn.
A person who goes to the dentist for regular checkups can be assumed to:
- Have fewer, if any, rotten teeth while
- Having had many more x-rays to the head and neck over their lifetimes (as many as one lot per year), as compared to those who don't go to the dentist regularly (These are the ones with bd teeth); so
- We can expect more head and neck cancers within the population of those people who have had fewer visits to the dentist and, therefore, had fewer x-rays over their lifetimes.
Dental x-rays do cause cancer and their study inadvertently provides more evidence!
Dentists and oral surgeons have a huge professional and financial stake in the widespread use of x-ray equipment. Like doctors, who are equally hooked into the use of cancerous x-ray machines, they are not about to admit that zapping their patients with countless mostly unnecessary x-rays may be the primary cause of the cancer epidemic that is causing immense suffering. Think of the law suits!
First rule of medicine:
First do no harm
Most dentists will blatantly deny that his very expensive modern x-ray machine causes cancer, and he will allay your fears by pointing out that you get more radiation when you fly in a plane. He may add that his machine emits tiny amounts of "low energy" radiation, which is far safer than x-ray machines of old. He's telling you lies:
- There is absolutely no minimum safe limit for exposure to ionising radiation. Moreover, the damage caused by radiation is cumulative over one's lifetime and the longer one lives, the more likely that those exposures over one's lifetime will be expressed as an aggressive cancer.
- The high energy cosmic radiation that one is exposed to when flying at altitude, tends to pass straight through the body, causing minimal damage in the process.
- Because of its slower speed of travel, the low energy, ionising radiation of modern x-ray machines tends to get trapped inside the flesh, bouncing around like a ping-pong ball, doing immense damage in the process, before exiting the body.
- For the sake of argument, let's accept, for a moment that these "lower powered" machines might be safer; but here's an additional problem: These machines are ubiquitous - they are everywhere - we can't get away from them! One of the reasons given for the soaring cancer rates in developed nations, is that people in developed countries are being zapped left, right and center as compared to their counterparts in less developed nations! We have to cut back - not increase our exposure to cancer-causing radiation.
Yeah - Right!
I feel a Tui Beer ad coming on!
The evidence has been around for several decades and growing stronger by the day:
X-rays do cause cancer
If you want to learn more about this controversial subject, please purchase the e-book
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By Rolf Hefti (link in the column to the upper right of this article).
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By Rolf Hefti (link in the column to the upper right of this article).
