Dothan Dentist Explains How Bacteria Causing Oral Cancer

Dothan dentist explains how oral bacteria can cause cancer and other health issues

Dr. Nathan Pfister

In Dothan Area Dentist Explains how Oral Bacteria Can Cause Cancer and Other Health Issues

It is estimated that 1.8 million people are diagnosed with cancer each year in the United States. This deadly disease takes many forms and has a variety of causes. Below, Dr. Nathan Pfister, dentist in Dothan, AL, explains emerging research on how common oral bacteria may contribute to cancer and other serious health issues and what you can do to identify and reduce your risk.

The link between oral bacteria and disease

There are many well-established risk factors for cancer, such as increased age, tobacco use, excessive alcohol consumption, and other lifestyle and genetic factors. But people who have these risk factors are not the only ones who are diagnosed with the disease—cancer can affect anyone at any age. For many years, scientists disregarded bacteria in the role of cancer, but after key studies in the 1990s showed that the bacteria Heliobacter pylori could lead to the development of gastric cancer, the door opened for research on the effects of other bacteria and cancers, as well as other diseases. Fast forward to today, and we now know that oral bacteria are associated with a number of serious health issues, ranging from oral squamous cell carcinoma, throat and colorectal cancer to heart attacks, strokes, and diabetes.

The mouth naturally hosts between 600 to 1,000 types of bacteria—both good and bad—but certain common oral bacteria make cancer and other diseases more likely to develop. In particular, some species can:

Cause chronic inflammation
Disrupt your immune system
Travel to cancers in other locations in your body via the bloodstream and lymph
Interfere with the natural healthy cell cycle and signaling pathways
Generate carcinogenic substances in the body

Testing for oral bacteria

Dr. Nathan Pfister is committed to not just helping his patients maintain optimal oral health, but also great overall health and well-being. To this end, he uses advanced microscopic technology to identify potentially harmful bacterial populations in your mouth and evaluate your oral health and how it might contribute to developing certain diseases. After obtaining a small plaque sample from the surface of your teeth, he uses a research-grade Nikon microscope to identify the types of bacteria present in your mouth and then custom-design a treatment plan to preventively stop these harmful conditions from worsening oral health or traveling to other parts of the body. Dr. Pfister will take the time to show you the results from the examination and communicate clearly with you about the types of bacteria and how prolific they are to help you understand your level of risk. In addition to microscope evaluation, saliva analysis through oralDNA labs is utilized to evaluate for certain oral species.

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Dr. Pfister tailors your treatment to your specific needs. Depending on the type and quantity of bacteria, as well as what is causing them to proliferate, Dr. Pfister may recommend one or more of the following treatments:

Oral or topical antibiotic treatments
More frequent professional cleanings of your teeth and gums with specific antiseptics
Other treatments for deep periodontal pockets to remove hard-to-reach bacterial colonies including perioprotect trays
Supplements to boost your healthy bacteria as well as oral probiotics

After you have completed your treatment plan, we will re-evaluate for the high risk bacteria using the same method to ensure that the treatment has been successful and the risk has been successfully addressed. Remember that oral bacteria are managed throughout your life and there is no cure to gum disease.

To learn more about oral bacteria testing and how it can benefit you, call Biodentist Alabama in Dothan today at (855) 939-5566.

Dr. Nathan Pfister

Dr. Pfister's passion for non-invasive biologic dentistry began while practicing dentistry in Hawaii and he learned of the power of ozone in dentistry. From Hawaii, Dr. Pfister moved to his hometown of Upland as the protégé of the world-renowned ozone dentist Dr. Bill Domb...

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Dr. Brian Pfister

Dr. Brian Pfister was born and raised in Upland, CA. He attended Brigham Young University-Idaho, graduating with a degree in exercise physiology with a minor in chemistry. From Idaho, Dr. Brian returned to southern California to continue dental training at Western University College of Dental Medicine.

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Dothan dentist explains how oral bacteria can cause cancer and other health issues

The link between oral bacteria and disease

Testing for oral bacteria

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