miserable oral hygiene , caries , and tooth loss increase the endangerment of developing sure cancer . However , scientists do not yet interpret why .

Dentalcavitiesor tooth decay are minuscule cakehole or openings in a soul ’s teeth . They modernize when domain of the teeth decay over time . wretched oral hygienics plays a role in developing cavity , which can be decline by tobacco use and high breathing in of sugary sugar foods .

scientist are shy exactly why tooth release correlates with cancer risk .

a dentist checking teeth of a woman

This article see potential connection between cavities , Crab , and Cancer the Crab treatments and discusses the crusade of cavities and headland and neck cancer .

Can cavities cause cancer?

According to a2023 meta - depth psychology , tooth passing is a risk agent for several form of cancer , let in :

A2023 meta - analysisreported that tooth loss almost doubled the danger of oral Cancer the Crab . even dental check - ups , eating fruit and vegetable , and maintaining skillful oral hygiene were found to reduce the risk of oral cancer .

Although scientists are unsure just why unwritten hygienics and cancer peril are tie in , they have proposed the followingtheories :

Causes and risk factors for cavities

Cavities are a symptom of tooth decay .

According to theNational Institutes of Health ( NIH ) , tooth decay originate from decline - causingbacteria .

When these bacteria come into contact with starches and sugars , they form an acid . This acid damages the tooth’senamel , causing it to lose minerals . Over time , the window pane stimulate the tooth to become discolored and finally bust down .

Risk factors for cavities

A person is more likely to evolve dental caries if one or more of the followingrisk factorsapply to them :

What increases the risk of head and neck cancers?

concord to theNational Cancer Institute ( NCI ) , the following factors may increase the risk of head and neck Crab :

Read abouttypes of oral cancers .

How to prevent cavities

fit in to theNIH , the trace bakshis can serve keep tooth decline :

Find outwhat to do for levelheaded tooth and gum .

Can cancer treatment cause cavities?

TheNCIdoes not heel cavities and tooth decline as unwashed complications of cancer treatments .

However , bothchemotherapy and radiation sickness therapycan cause tooth decay . In the character of radiation therapy , ramification can continue even after the Cancer the Crab treatment is over . to boot , genus Cancer handling can worsen existing cavities .

When to contact a doctor or dentist

Anyone who has symptoms of tooth decay should contact a dentist . agree to theNIH , these symptoms let in :

During a dental checkup , tooth doctor typically calculate for signs of tooth decline , gingiva disease , and oral cancer .

Anyone with symptom of head and neck cancer should assay immediate medical advice . TheNCIlists the following symptoms :

Cancer resources

To discover more grounds - based entropy and resources for cancer , visitour dedicated hub .

Summary

Dental cavity arise in the belated stages of tooth radioactive decay , which can , in some cases , lead to tooth red . There is evidence that losing teeth correlates with a high risk of cancer , although scientist are not certain why .

Good oral hygiene , such as brushing the dentition on a regular basis with fluoride toothpaste , decreases the likelihood of cavities and may help preclude case of head and neck opening Crab . avoid sugary foods and smoking can also avail .