Photo by Mikael Kristenson on Unsplash
MISSING TEETH AT BIRTH IS LINKED TO CANCER RISK. A new study from Denmark suggests that congenital tooth loss is linked to cancer risk.
This essay will briefly explore this hypothesis-generating finding.
Speaking to Helio, study author Sage E. Eiset offers this take:
“The hypothesis is not new but has not yet been investigated in a population-based setting. In Denmark, we have several population-based registries with many years of high-quality data, including a public dental registry. This was a unique opportunity to investigate the tooth agenesis–cancer hypothesis.”
Let’s look at the new and provocative study.
Tooth loss is a common condition that affects millions of people around the world, and cancer is a major health concern that affects millions of people each year.
Previous research has suggested a link between missing teeth from birth and cancer risk, but this link has not yet been thoroughly investigated in a population-based setting.
A new study from Denmark builds on previous research to shed new light on the potential link between missing teeth at birth and cancer risk.
Researchers in Denmark looked at records of people born between 1977 and 2018 to see if there was a link between missing teeth at birth and certain types of cancer.
The idea is brilliant.
They collected information from various databases on missing teeth (excluding wisdom teeth) and cancer diagnoses.
The study involved over 2.5 million individuals, with just over 2.8 percent having missing teeth at birth and 1.1 percent being diagnosed with cancer at a young age.
Out of those, 778 people had both missing teeth at birth and cancer.
The study found that children aged 1 to 3 years with missing teeth at birth were more likely to develop certain cancers, including the following types:
Children aged 3 to 6 had a higher risk of muscle cancer (rhabdomyosarcoma risk increased 3.5 times) and leukemia (acute myeloid leukemia risk increased 3.8 times).
Between 10 to 20 years old, individuals with missing teeth had an increased bone cancer risk. Osteosarcoma, a type of bone cancer, risk increased by 2.2 times.
Finally, young adults aged 20 to 30 had a higher chance of developing appendix (2.5 times) and bladder cancers (3.4 times), while those aged 30 to 40 had a 2.8-fold increase in colorectal cancer risk.
Do you have a missing tooth (tooth agenesis)?
Tooth agenesis is quite common. On the other hand, the study revealed few cancer cases.
Even if your risk is up to 8.8 times higher for muscle cancer, it is very unlikely you will ever get it.
There are only 400 to 500 children who develop muscle cancer each year.
The findings may be erroneous; that is, they occurred by chance.
Still, some findings are biologically explainable.
Did you know tooth development is a complex process involving several signaling pathways? Fascinating, right?
These pathways include Wnt, BMP, FGF, Shh, Eda, and others. It’s amazing how many intricate mechanisms are at play to give us our pearly whites!
For example, the AXIN2 gene is connected to tooth anomalies and colon cancer.
The study is registration-based.
While this approach allowed the researchers to build a massive database, it did not allow the establishment of causality.
The findings may be erroneous; that is, they occurred by chance.
Finally, if a very young child had previous cancer therapy, that could impact oral health.
A recent study from Denmark found that missing teeth (excluding wisdom teeth) at birth may be linked to an increased risk of certain cancers.
The study, which involved over 2.5 million individuals, found that children aged 1 to 3 years with missing teeth were more likely to develop acute myeloid leukemia, neuroblastoma, kidney tumors, liver cancer, and muscle cancer.
While the study suggests a possible link between missing teeth and cancer risk, it is important to note that the overall risk of developing these cancers is still quite low.
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