Alcohol and Oral Cancer

At Bridge Smiles Dental Group, we provide treatment for a number of oral health issues, but our preferred approach is prevention. To help combat oral cancer, we wanted to pass along new findings from the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) linking cancer to use of alcohol.

According to the ASCO’s new study, use of alcohol increases the risk of cancer, including of the mouth and throat, by about 5%. This number is inclusive of alcohol when used in light or moderate amounts, although heavy drinking appears to be riskier. The rate was unchanged by the amount of alcohol consumed. While doctors have long warned of the dangers of drinking and smoking, this study was different in that it examined drinking in isolation. The exact reason alcohol is linked to oral cancer remains unknown, but the researchers suspect that the breaking down and rebuilding of the soft tissues of the mouth increases the risk of DNA getting miscopied, resulting in cancerous growths.

Not all the news from the ASCO is bad. While alcohol is associated with many types of cancer, the damage it does to the aerodigestive tract is reversible. When people quit drinking, their risk for oral cancer declined to the level of people who never drank.

Drs. Meghadri and Grewal run Bridge Smiles Dental Group at 820 US Hwy 202 North Neshanic Station, NJ, and 15 North Bridge St. Somerville, NJ. To schedule an appointment, visit Bridge Smiles Dental.