The red and white lesions on the tongue may not always be painful causing those afflicted to procrastinate on taking medical opinion. The fact that these lesions, symptomatic of tongue cancer, never heal, is what drives most people to the doctor. As a result, tongue cancer is normally diagnosed at a stage when it’s too late to do much about it.
Researchers at the University of Buffalo and Roswell Park Cancer Institute studying the connection between gum disease and cancer over a period of 6 years, have found that the risk of tongue cancer increased 5-fold with every millimeter of lost alveolar bone. Over time, bacteria, and the toxins and enzymes they produce, cause genetic alterations in specific tongue cells, which turn cancerous.
Dr. Mine Tezal, of the University of Buffalo, the lead author of the study, has been quoted as saying that only proper dental hygiene can prevent or arrest inflammation. So it would be prudent to treat any form of gum disease as a warning signal – and take precautions to arrest further alveolar bone loss. The most effective way of preventing gum disease is to keep your teeth clean. In our experience, the most effective teeth and mouth cleaner is an all natural product specially created for A-1 dental hygiene.