Periodontitis is a chronic gum disease that progresses very slowly. It can lead to bone loss around affected teeth.
Researchers from the University at Buffalo School of Dental Medicine in New York say that those with gum disease have a higher risk of developing tongue cancer. The researchers compared 51 men diagnosed with tongue cancer to 54 cancer free men.
They reported that each millimeter reduction in bone loss was associated with a 5 fold rise in risk of tongue cancer. Seeing bone loss on the x-rays indicates the gum disease has existed for decades, making it clear that periodontitis preceded the cancer diagnosis, and not the other way around.
