Frequency of Daily Tooth Brushing and Development of any Type of Malignancy.

Abstract

The aim of this study was to evaluate the association between the frequency of daily tooth brushing and the development of any type of malignancy. We conducted a retrospective longitudinal study, including all adult participants who underwent health check-ups. Primary outcome was the development of any type of malignancy, compared to the frequency of daily tooth brushing, adjusting for potential confounders. A total of 71,449 participants were included and 5,025 participants developed a certain type of malignancy. Not brushing everyday (Odds Ratio (OR)=1.52, 95% Confidence Interval (CI)=1.03-2.25) and brushing once a day (OR=1.25, 95%CI=1.16-1.35) had significantly higher ORs for the outcome than brushing after every meal, although those who brushed once to twice a day had significantly lower OR (OR=0.78, 95%CI=0.72-0.83). As the frequency of daily tooth brushing increased, except for brushing after every meal, the development of all types of malignancies decreased.