Mouth an Indicator of Body's Overall Health

The mouth or oral cavity area is an excellent indicator of the whole body's health, says a University of Maryland Dental School professor.

Professor Li Mao insists surface tissues inside the cheek could be checked to detect tobacco-induced damage in the lungs.

Oral Cancer | Mouth Cancer - Types, Causes, Symptoms, Diagnosis, Treatment & Prevention
Oral cancer is a cancer that develops in any part of the mouth. It is more common in men over 40.

This could prove to be an important advancement in designing future lung cancer prevention trials.

"We hypothesized that tobacco-induced molecular alterations in the oral epithelium are similar to those in the lungs," said Mao.

The expert added: "This might have broader implications for using the mouth as a diagnostic indicator for general health."

Oral Health and AIDS - Introduction Treatment FAQs
AIDS has taken on massive proportions in modern times. It is estimated that over 15 million people are suffering from the disease and many more are harboring the dreaded Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV).

"I feel that dentists should play a major role in prevention of cancer and Dr. Mao is the leading oral cancer researcher in the country. He crosses the bridge between medicine and dentistry," said University of Maryland Dental School Dean Christian S. Stohler, DMD, DrMedDent, a leader in the movement to retool dental education.

"Being a physician helps expand dental health care and he wants to change how patients are being treated because his background is in head and neck cancer," Stohler added.

The Lungs
The lungs are our organs of respiration. It is within these, that exchange of gases takes place.

The study is published in the journal Cancer Prevention Research.

Source-ANI
SRM

History of Tobacco
Encyclopedia section of medindia briefs you about the History of Tobacco