Study finds lower risk of head and neck cancers among patients with greater numbers of dental carries

[Emily]

http://www.medpagetoday.com/hematologyoncology/othercancers/41611

Dental Caries May Protect Against Cancer

Published: Sep 13, 2013 | Updated: Sep 16, 2013
By John Gever, Deputy Managing Editor, MedPage Today
Reviewed by F. Perry Wilson, MD, MSCE; Instructor of Medicine, Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania and Dorothy Caputo, MA, BSN, RN, Nurse Planner

Action Points

Note that this case-control study demonstrated a lower risk of head and neck cancers among patients with greater numbers of dental carries.
Be aware that the study omitted certain important confounders including socioeconomic and dietary status.

Another thread about cancer-fighting pathogens:
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Our relationships with viruses and bacteria could be more complicated than we think.