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Is Gum Disease Linked to Pancreatic Cancer?

Brushing and flossing means more than just keeping up healthy teeth and gums. Your oral health has an important connection to the health of the rest of your body. This is why, when you struggle with tooth decay or gingivitis, you may be at risk of far worse diseases. According to researchers, gum disease may actually be a risk factor for pancreatic cancer.

This research is coming to us from the Harvard School of Public Health. According to their study, there is compelling evidence that there is a link between periodontitis and pancreatic cancer. Periodontitis is a form of gum disease which affects the gum tissues which support teeth, leading to a loss of bone structure in the jaw. It was found that men with a history of periodontitis have a 64% greater chance of developing pancreatic cancer, compared to men who never struggled with gum disease.

It is unclear whether it is the gum disease that causes pancreatic cancer, or if an increased cancer risk makes you more susceptible to gum disease, so more research is needed. One way or another, you should always keep a close eye on your teeth. Contact our Bellingham dentist for your regular appointment every six months.

Warning Signs of Oral Cancer

Your best chance of surviving oral cancer is to catch it at its early stages. This is why a regular screening is an important part of the experience with our Bellingham dentist. However, you can also be on the lookout for the warning signs yourself. These signs include all of the following:

  • Feelings of pain, tenderness, or loss of sensation in your face, mouth, neck, or ear.
    Lumps, or rough, crusty, or eroded areas around the lips, inside your mouth, or in your neck.
  • Patches of velvety red or white in your mouth, or a patch that is speckled red and white.
  • Unexplained bleeding in your oral cavity.
  • A bleeding sore in your face, neck, or mouth that doesn’t heal by itself after a couple of weeks.
  • A persistent sore throat, or a persistent feeling that you have something caught in the back of your throat.
  • Difficulty chewing, swallowing, or other decreased mobility in either your jaw or tongue.
  • Persistent trouble speaking, including hoarseness or slurred speech.
  • Your teeth no longer fit together they way they usually do.
  • Sudden weight loss.

Any one of these could indicate oral cancer, or it could point to something different. Only your dentist can properly diagnose you. Should you experience any of the signs listed here, contact Tetrick Family Dentistry right away.

Mouth-Friendly Nutrition

Your diet has a significant impact on the health of your teeth and gums. Well-chosen and well-balanced meals can make a big difference in how much tooth decay or gingivitis you experience. Obviously, cutting down on sugars is a healthy choice, but there is also a selection of important nutrients that you should make sure you are getting enough of in order to foster a healthy mouth. The following list will help you to cultivate a mouth-friendly diet:

  • Calcium: Your teeth need plenty of calcium to rebuild themselves and stay strong. You can get calcium from dairy products, leafy greens, and meat.
  • Vitamin D: Vitamin D is used by your body to absorb calcium. This vitamin comes from certain fortified foods, or from modest exposure to the sun.
  • Vitamin C: A vitamin C deficiency brings about loose teeth and weak gums. It also harms your ability to fight infections.
  • Fiber: Foods that are high in fiber and low in sugars, like vegetables, whole grains, and meat, serve to scrub your teeth as you chew.

Talk to our Bellingham dentist for more ways to get the best out of your oral health.

What is Your Oral Cancer Risk?

Oral cancer accounts for only a small percentage of cancer in the United States, but it has one of the higher death rates of any cancer. Therefore, it is important to be mindful of your own risk factor, and work with our Bellingham dentist to make sure that you catch any signs of this deadly disease in its early stages.

Any of the following can raise your chances of developing oral cancer:

  • Men statistically have a higher chance of oral cancer than women, with men over fifty representing the biggest risk.
  • Any sort of tobacco use will dramatically increase your risk factor, including smoking, chewing, or snuff.
  • Smoking marijuana also increases your risk by a large degree.
  • Excessive drinking of alcohol is linked to oral cancer. If you are both a drinker and a smoker, your risk is exponentially higher.
  • Poor diet, particularly a diet deficient in vitamin A, can increase your risk.
  • Any exposure to the HPV virus can cause oral cancer.
  • Unprotected exposure to the sun increases your odds of developing oral cancer around your lips.
  • If you have oral cancer in your family history, you may have a genetic disposition to the disease.

How to Stop Grinding Your Teeth

Do you struggle with bruxism? This condition, known commonly as tooth-grinding, represents a significant hazard to your oral health. Fortunately, there are many ways to help manage your grinding and better assure that you maintain strong, straight teeth for years to come.

  • Stress is one of the biggest root causes of bruxism. If you are feeling stress, identify your stressors and find a way to manage them.
  • Sometimes, your bruxism can be linked to pain in your teeth or around the area of your jaw. 14Talk to your dentist to address any pain you may be feeling.
  • Cut back on your consumption of alcohol and caffeine.
  • If you habitually chew on items like pencils, ice, bottle caps, or even gum, you may be training your muscles to clench more than they need to. Try to avoid such habits.
  • Place the tip of your tongue between your teeth. This will force your jaw muscles to relax.
  • If you’re a nighttime grinder, apply a warm compress to your cheeks for a few minutes before bedtime to relax your muscles.

You can learn more about bruxism and how to manage your condition by talking to our Bellingham dentist during normal business hours.

Dealing With Dental Anxiety

Dental anxiety is a legitimate condition, one that affects between ten and twenty percent of people in the United States. Such anxiety prevents many people from getting the dental care that they need. If you struggle with a fear of the dentist, we can work with you to help you feel comfortable and get the treatment you need and deserve.

One of the big causes of dental anxiety comes from a childhood trauma linked to the dentist office. Fortunately, modern dental technology has lessened and eliminated the pain associated with many common dental procedures. By talking to your dentist, you may be surprised to learn that your treatment can be much less invasive or painful than you would expect. Our Bellingham dentist office also makes use of sophisticated sedatives to make even the more common procedures a more comfortable experience.

Other people are made anxious by the lack of control they feel in the dentist chair. Again, the solution is communication. You can establish a signal that lets your dentist know when you are in pain. This alone can go a long way towards fostering a positive experience.

Take Care of Your Brush!

No matter how often or how well you brush your teeth, you’re not going to be doing much good if your brush isn’t up to the task. Many people neglect their brushes, allowing them to break down over time so that they start to do more harm than good. To avoid this, try taking measures to preserve your toothbrush.

The first thing to remember is that you generally shouldn’t expect to use a brush for more than three months. Your bristles are becoming bent and broken, and after a while they’re splayed about and too weak to properly scrub your teeth. You may need to change your brush even more frequently if you brush particularly hard, or if you are struggling with gum disease.

You also want to watch out for bacteria and other contaminants building up on your brush. Not only is your oral bacteria lingering on your bristles after you finish brushing, but airborne particles ejected from your toilet can accumulate on your brush. Take care to store your brush where it can dry out between brushes, but still shielded from your toilet. Also, don’t allow your brush to touch the head of any other brushes that are stored in the same bathroom.

Periodically clean your brush by dipping it in an antimicrobial mouthwash. Do not put it in the dishwasher or the microwave, as these can easily damage the brush.

Getting the Most Out of Your Brushing

There is more to this important practice than just scrubbing at your teeth with your brush. Consider the following tips to make sure you are getting the best from your oral hygiene:

  • Ideally, you should be brushing twice a day: once after you wake up and once shortly before going to sleep. Time your brushings to take two minutes each. Choose a time that is at least thirty minutes after you last ate.
  • When you floss, do so before you brush.
  • Moisten your bristles and apply a thin layer of paste.
  • Bring your brush to your mouth with the bristles held at a forty-five degree angle with the teeth so that you can lightly massage the gums. Brush with a circular motion, taking care not to brush so hard that you break down your fragile gum tissues.
  • Divide your mouth into four sections and focus on each on in sequence. This will help you to remember to cover all of your mouth.
  • Scrape your tongue with a tongue scraper, or scrub it with your brush.
  • Rinse out and follow with an antibacterial mouthwash.

To learn more about maximizing your daily oral hygiene, talk to our Bellingham dentist at Tetrick Family Dentistry.

Do you have trouble maintaining a proper flossing routine?

If you’re like many people, you’re being held back by the difficulty that you experience with your flossing. Fortunately, there are many options available to help you along your way. Consider the following advice to select a product that will make it easier for you to keep up the daily flossing regimen that you need:

One of the biggest concerns in your floss selection is its thickness. Some people struggle with particularly narrow gaps between some of their teeth, which conventional floss doesn’t fit into too easily. If you find that your floss gets stuck and breaks frequently, look for a finer floss. However, if you can comfortably use a thicker floss, you’re probably better off doing so.

Some people have trouble maneuvering their floss through their back teeth. Either they lack the manual dexterity that they need, or their fingers are just too thick to fit into their mouths. If this is your experience, you can probably benefit from a floss holder or similar flossing aid. Consult our Bellingham dentist to learn more.