Study: Poor Gum Health May Raise Risk of Esophageal, Colorectal Cancer

Periodontal disease is among South Korea’s most common conditions. National Health Insurance Service data show that, as of 2024, more than 19.5 million people received treatment for periodontal disease, with covered costs totaling about 2.3 trillion won.

Against that backdrop, researchers presented findings suggesting that poorer gum health may be linked to a higher risk of certain cancers. Experts note that because the mouth is directly connected to the digestive tract, inflammation from periodontal disease can negatively affect overall health.

Park Jae-yong, a professor of gastroenterology at Chung-Ang University College of Medicine, presented an analysis on March 19 at the Korea Press Center in Seoul during the 18th Gum Day event, focusing on the relationship between poor gum health and esophageal cancer.

Park said the study was based on a hypothesis that swallowing saliva could repeatedly carry oral inflammation, leading to chronic inflammation and potentially esophagitis. He said the analysis found the risk was about 16% higher among people with tooth loss and about 10% higher among those with periodontal disease. Neglecting oral care, he said, may increase the risk of digestive-tract cancers due to bacteria associated with gum disease.

He added that significant associations were also found between esophageal cancer and poor oral hygiene habits, including brushing fewer than three times a day, not brushing before bed, and not using interdental cleaning tools.

Separately, speakers cited a 2024 study published in Nature on how gum-disease bacteria can affect the colorectal cancer environment.

Kook Joong-ki, a professor in the Department of Oral Biochemistry at Chosun University’s College of Dentistry, said animal experiments showed that a specific bacterium — Fusobacterium nucleatum subspecies animalis C2 — can worsen cancer when it reaches the colon.

Dongkook Pharmaceutical and the Korean Academy of Periodontology have designated March 24 as Gum Day since 2009 to raise public awareness of periodontal disease and its links to health. This year’s 18th event was held under the theme, “Thorough gum care reduces the risk of digestive-tract cancers.”