Significant correlations between dental health and survival among those with head and neck cancer were discovered by a multi-national investigation. Increased survival was linked to better oral health, as measured by the percentage of natural teeth and dental visits before diagnosis.
The study, by researchers at UNC Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center and UNC Adams School of Dentistry, Chapel Hill, North Carolina, and Moffitt Cancer Center, Tampa, Florida, in partnership with the International Head and Neck Cancer Epidemiology (INHANCE) consortium, appeared September 19, 2023, in the Journal of the National Cancer Institute.
Lead author Jason Tasoulas MD, a current Ph.D. candidate, DMD, said, "The INHANCE consortium's patients data allowed us to be as thorough as possible and identify robust associations between oral health and survival. We assembled a diverse and experienced team to examine records of approximately 2500 patients from eight countries to carry out our state-of-the-art statistical analyses."
Patients with head and neck cancer were asked to rate their own oral hygiene and health, including how often they brushed their teeth, whether they used mouthwash, and whether their gums bled. They were also asked to self-report the number of natural teeth and frequency of dental visits during a 10-year period before their cancer diagnosis.
