October is National Breast Cancer Awareness Month! Breast cancer is the second most common cancer among women in the US and approximately one in eight women will develop some form of the disease. You may already be familiar with Breast Cancer Awareness month and the many events supporting research for cancer prevention.
However, you might not know that there are strong links between oral health and breast cancer. Specifically, breast cancer survivors and people undergoing cancer treatment of any kind are at higher risk for many oral health problems.
In this article, we’ll look at some of the possible links between oral health and breast cancer. Then, we’ll fill you in on how your team at Lake Baldwin Dental can help!
Can Breast Cancer Affect Your Oral Health?
Yes! Many of the medications that treat breast cancer (and other types of cancer) have direct effects on your teeth and gums. Here are a few oral health issues you might experience from cancer treatments.
1. Dry Mouth
Both chemotherapy and radiation therapy can damage the salivary glands and reduce how much saliva you produce. Saliva is critical to good oral health, and chronic dry mouth can increase your risks for severe cavities, gum disease, and even oral infections.
What to do: Try over-the-counter products for dry mouth like rinses, lozenges, and chewing gums. Stay hydrated and try to keep your teeth as clean as possible.
2. Gum Disease and Sores in the Mouth
Breast cancer patients are at a higher risk for developing gum disease, mouth sores, and irritated oral mucosa. This could be due to a weakened immune system from cancer treatments. However, hormonal changes associated with breast cancer could also be at work. Many chemotherapy medications are associated with increased inflammation and bleeding in the gums and may cause sores or irritated tissues.
What to do: Stay on top of excellent brushing and flossing habits throughout your treatment. If you feel like your gums or oral tissues are reacting poorly, talk to your doctor or schedule a visit with your dental team. We have products that can help in many cases!
3. Changes to Your Sense of Taste
Some breast cancer treatments can cause a metallic or bitter taste in the mouth or even change the flavor of some foods. This can make it hard to maintain your appetite and could impact your oral health by changing the types of nutrition you can tolerate.
What to do: Talk to your doctor about altered taste and appetite issues. Whenever possible, try to incorporate healthy whole foods like veggies (check with your doctor about specific food limitations like leafy greens!) in a way you can tolerate, such as in smoothies, pancakes, or muffins.
Can Gum Disease Increase Your Risk for Cancer?
It’s possible. While more research is needed, strong links have been demonstrated between periodontal disease and many types of cancer, including breast cancer. According to a study published in the journal Cancer Epidemiology, Biomarkers & Prevention, women with untreated gum disease are 14% more likely to develop breast cancer compared to women with healthy gums.
Other studies take smoking history into account, an important consideration since smoking can make the effects of gum disease more severe. Women with gum disease and a history of smoking (even if they quit within the last 20 years) have a 36% higher risk of developing breast cancer compared to women without gum disease.
There are several possibilities for these links. We know for sure that the bacteria involved in gum disease can travel through the bloodstream to other parts of the body. Repeated exposure to these bacteria can cause a cumulative effect that builds up over time and may be directly involved in the development of certain types of cancer, including breast cancer. (We already know there is a direct link between periodontal disease and pancreatic cancer, for example.)
Other than the bacteria themselves, the inflammation from gum disease can impact other tissues of the body as well. And we know that chronic inflammation increases cancer risks.
There may also be a third, unknown factor that increases the risk of both gum disease and breast cancer, meaning that one doesn’t necessarily increase the risk for the other directly, but that people who are likely to develop one issue may also be more likely to struggle with both.
Will Getting Gum Disease Treated Reduce Your Risk for Breast Cancer?
At this point, we don’t know for sure. The data is not yet clear enough to demonstrate that gum disease treatments will make a significant difference in your breast cancer risk.
However, we can say for sure that treating gum disease reduces your bacterial load and eliminates a source of chronic inflammation in your body. So it can’t hurt!
Decreasing your likelihood of developing cancer is all about making lots of “small” improvements in your overall health that work together. It’s all about taking control of the risk factors that are, well, within your control!
Here are some ideas:
- Eat a balanced diet with plenty of plants and protein (which is also good for your dental health)
- Try to maintain a healthy weight
- Try to get regular physical activity like taking walks or working out
- Avoid tobacco and vaping
- Use alcohol in moderation
- Take good care of your teeth and gums
Your Team at Lake Baldwin Dental Is Here to Help!
Regular dental cleanings are a critical part of keeping your teeth and gums healthy. Even if it’s been a long time since you’ve been to the dentist or you have been putting off dealing with gingivitis or gum disease, we’re here to help. You’ll always find a judgement-free zone with us.
If you’ve been diagnosed with breast cancer (or any type of cancer) and will be starting treatment soon, preventive dental care should be part of your plan. Staying on top of your cleanings before you start cancer treatments can help minimize those potential risks to your oral health we showed earlier.
As always, we’re here to answer any questions you may have and do what we can to protect your overall wellness as well as your smile. Keep smiling, Orlando!
