Oral cancer

• Tongue scraping has long been part of daily hygiene routines in many parts of the world.
• But while there’s some evidence to back these claims, the practise could also come with risks.
• Poor oral health can lead to a build-up of biofilms containing certain bacterial species which cause dental decay (cavities), gum disease and bad breath.
• But there’s less evidence showing whether these techniques are also effective for preventing tongue biofilms and bad breath.

Tongue scraping

• However, these reviews did find that the benefits of tongue scraping were shortlived and needed to be done using a specific technique to be effective.
• There are other caveats when it comes to tongue scraping.
• In these instances, tongue scraping will do little to solve bad breath.

• One study has suggested that tongue scraping may actually enrich the amount of nitrate-reducing bacteria on the tongue.
• It will be important for further research to be done with more participants to better determine both the potential benefits and harms of tongue scraping.

Should I use a tongue scraper?

• It’s also likely that the benefits and downsides of using a tongue scraper would differ for each person.
• Good oral hygiene will probably be enough to fix bad breath – and aggressive tongue scraping may actually risk making your tongue bleed.
• We also don’t yet fully know how tongue scraping will affect good bacteria on you tongue.
• Scrape your tongue, or clean your tongue with a toothbrush, with care, if you must.

Zoe Brookes does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.

• With the countless studies available today on the effects of tobacco use, we should have no trouble convincing ourselves and others of how harmful it is.
• The cells that make up our tissues, organs and body systems are sensitive to the effects of external toxic agents, many of which can be found in tobacco.
• Many smokers not only accept this, but also ignore the serious danger it poses to the people around them.

Initial effects in the mouth and pharynx

• When tobacco smoke enters our body, the first cells to receive it are in the mouth, nose and throat.
• These effects on the immune system are also linked to a higher likelihood of developing cancer.
• We also cannot forget that tobacco smoke robs us of our sense of taste and smell, leaving an almost continuous bitter taste in the mouth.

Lung damage

• Furthermore, due to the direct damage caused by tobacco on the tissue that maintains the structure of the lungs, the bronchi and bronchioles become blocked, generating symptoms similar to suffocation.
• As if that were not enough, people with COPD are also more likely to develop cardiovascular disease, and lung cancer.

Black tar and macrophages

• We can cast our minds back to the previous image of my father’s pipe, black and sticky with tar.
• It so happens that the lungs are rich in macrophages – special cells that play a key role in our immune systems by reacting to attacks, producing inflammatory responses.
• These cells end up ingesting the tar from tobacco, and they eventually die loaded with this substance which builds up and gives a smoker’s lungs their characteristic blackened appearance.

Nicotine’s effects on neurons: dependence and addiction

• As with any other compound that stimulates neurotransmitter receptors, permanent stimulation desensitises neurons.
• This means that the neurons reduce the number of receptors, or change their sensitivity to the stimulant.
• This desensitisation process can lead not only to nicotine dependence, but also to other diseases such as memory loss.

Guillermo López Lluch is a member of the Spanish Society of Cell Biology, the Spanish Society of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, the Spanish Society of Geriatrics and Gerontology, the Society for Free Radical Research and the International Coenzyme Q10 Association. The research carried out by the author is financed by public funds from the Spanish Government or the Autonomous Government of Andalusia.

• Oral bacteria, including viridans group streptococcal (VGS), can cause infective endocarditis, an infection of the inner lining of the heart or heart valves.2 The American Heart Association's new Healthy Smiles, Healthy Hearts™ initiative, developed in collaboration with Delta Dental , aims to improve the total health of patients nationwide by expanding access to equitable, integrated health care, and educating patients and clinicians on the connection between heart health and oral health.
• According to the American Heart Association , the world's leading nonprofit organization focused on heart and brain health for all, the prevention or early detection of heart disease can result in significantly better health outcomes.
• The initiative will also educate healthcare professionals and patients on the link between heart health and oral health while emphasizing the importance of a patient's integrated care team in improving total health and well-being.
• For more information on The American Heart Association's new Healthy Smiles, Healthy Hearts™ initiative, developed in collaboration with Delta Dental, please visit: Oral Health | American Heart Association

• November is Oral Cancer Action Month, and Woburn Dentistry wants to emphasize the importance of early detection to treat these diseases effectively.
• The family practice is committed to the health and well-being of patients, and therefore will be offering complimentary oral cancer screening with every hygiene checkup – not just this month but every month.
• Dentists can identify early signs of oral cancer during regular dental checkups, which include an oral cancer screening that is essential in the detection of cancerous and precancerous conditions.” According to the American Cancer Society, Oral Cancer affects over 54,000 people in the United States every year.
• Regular dental visits and hygiene checkups are critical for maintaining oral health and can also serve as a frontline defense against oral cancer.