Recent medical research has linked poor oral health with pancreatic cancer and arthritis. Now, a new study has found that an infection from a common type of mouth bacteria can contribute to colorectal (or colon) cancer as well.

The bacteria, called Fusobacterium nucleatum, can attach to colon cells and trigger a sequence of changes that can lead to colon cancer, according to the team at Case Western Reserve University School of Dental Medicine.

The researchers also found a way to prevent the bacteria from attaching to colon cells.

“This discovery creates the potential for new diagnostic tools and therapies to treat and prevent the cancer,” lead investigator Yiping Han said in a university news release.

The findings show the importance of good oral health, said Han, a professor of periodontics. She noted that levels of F. nucleatum are much higher in people with gum disease.

The study was published in the journal Cell Host & Microbe, which also contained another study from a different research group showing how F. nucleatum can speed the accumulation of cancer cells.

Source: Case Western Reserve University, news release, Aug. 14, 2013; http://www.biohealthscience.org

A study observed more than 100,000 people, none of whom had a history of heart attack or stroke at the beginning of the study, over a period of seven years in Taiwan. The study suggested that those people who got their teeth professionally cleaned at least twice or more in two years had significantly lower risk of developing cardiovascular diseases like heart attack or a stroke.

The findings which were presented at the American Heart Association’s Scientific Sessions 2011 stated that people who got their teethed scaled by a dentist had 13 percent less chance of stroke and ran as much as 24 percent lower risk of heart attack, compared to people who never had had a dental cleaning done by a certified dental hygienist or dentist.

The study had included more than 51,000 adults who had undergone teeth scaling partially or fully, at least once a year. The study also included an equal number of adults who had never got their teeth cleaned professionally. The study did not make any adjustments for cardiovascular disease risk factors such as smoking, ethnicity/ race or weight factors.

As per Emily (Zu-Yin) Chen, M.D., cardiology fellow at the Veterans General Hospital in Taipei, “Protection from heart disease and stroke was more pronounced in participants who got tooth scaling at least once a year. Professional tooth scaling appears to reduce inflammation-causing bacterial growth that can lead to heart disease or stroke.”

Another study conducted on approximately 8,000 participants by Dr. Holmlund, dentist researcher at the Centre for Research and Development of the County Council of Gävleborg, Sweden, showed that the type of periodontal (gum) disease is a good predictor of the degree of risk one has of heart attack and heart failure, as well as stroke.
The study went on to give very specific numbers of periodontal bad spots and the probability attached to the numbers, such as:

• People having fewer than 21 teeth had an increased risk by 69 percent of having a heart attack than those who have most of their teeth.
• A larger number of infected pockets in the gum 53 percent increased risk of heart attack compared to those with the fewest pockets.
• Those with the least amount of teeth were approximately 2.5 times more at risk of developing congestive heart failure when compared to those who had the most teeth.
• The highest incidence of gum bleeding had a 2.1 increased risk of stroke.

Women who go to the dentist have healthier hearts.

That’s according to a study from University of California, Berkeley researchers, who published their findings online in the journal Health Economics. The study suggests that women who get dental care reduce their risk of heart attacks, stroke and other cardiovascular problems by at least one-third.

Data came from nearly 7,000 people, ages 44-88 enrolled in the Health and Retirement Study.

“Many studies have found associations between dental care and cardiovascular disease, but our study is the first to show that general dental care leads to fewer heart attacks, strokes and other adverse cardiovascular outcomes in a causal way,” said study lead author Timothy Brown, Ph.D., assistant adjunct professor of health policy and management at UC Berkeley’s School of Public Health.

This longitudinal study followed the same individuals over time, and each biennial survey included questions on whether subjects had visited the dentist and whether they had experienced a heart attack, stroke, angina or congestive heart failure during the prior two years. Deaths from heart attacks or strokes were also included in the analysis and the study took into account other risk factors, such as alcohol and tobacco use, high blood pressure and body mass index.