Tooth loss strongly linked to risk of esophageal, head and neck, and lung cancer

The researchers say that while widespread inflammation could explain the link between tooth loss and cancer risk, they also note that tooth loss in the cancer patients may simply reflect unhealthy behaviors that contribute to cancer risk. Furthermore, people who have lost teeth may not be able to eat a healthy diet, and diet is also a factor in cancer development.

Whatever the mechanism, the researchers stress that oral care is critical to good health.

“The oral cavity is a gateway between the external environment and the gastrointestinal tract and acts in both food ingestion and digestion,” the researchers wrote. “Oral hygiene potentially affects gastrointestinal flora and nutritional status and may thus have implications for the development of chronic disease.”

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