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Based on a study published in the journal Cancer Prevention Research, infection with oral human papillomavirus (HPV), a leading contributor to throat cancer, may possibly be connected to poor oral health that includes gum disease.

HPV is a virus that affects areas including the throat, mouth, feet, fingers, nails, anus and cervix,areas of the skin and the mucus membranes that line the body.

The researchers note that similar to genital HPV infection, oral HPV infection can be split into two kinds. The first are low-risk HPV types that are not a cause of cancer, but cause benign tumors and warts in the oral cavity. The second are high-risk HPV types that can cause throat cancers.

According to the researchers, oral HPV infection causes 40-80% of oropharyngeal cancers (throat cancers).

Researchers from the University of Texas Health Sciences Center in Houston examined and analyzed data from the 2009-2010 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES), which was conducted by the National Center for Health Statistics of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

Around 3,439 participants were featured in the data, aged between 30 and 69 years. Participants were selected based on their available oral health data and the presence or absence of 19 low-risk HPV types, as well as 18 high-risk HPV types in the oral cavity.

The oral health data included the following four criteria:

• Self-rating of overall oral health

• Presence of gum disease

• Use of mouthwash to treat dental problems (within past 7 days of survey)

• The number of teeth lost.

Elements that may affect HPV infection were also taken into consideration, including age, gender, marital status, marijuana use, cigarette smoking and oral sex habits.

The data showed that participants who complained about bad oral health had 56% higher chance of contracting oral HPV infection as opposed to those who had good oral health.

Those with gum disease exhibited a 51% higher chance of oral HPV infection, while those with dental problems had a 28% chance. The researchers were also able to tie oral HPV infections to the number of teeth lost.

Furthermore, their discoveries showed that males who smoked cigarettes, used marijuana, and participated in oral sex frequently had increased risks of oral HPV infection.
They note that self-rated overall oral health was an independent risk factor for the infection, as the link did not differ regardless of whether the participant smoked or had multiple oral sex partners.

“Poor oral health is a new independent risk factor for oral HPV infection and, to our knowledge, this is the first study to examine this association. The good news is, this risk factor is modifiable. By maintaining good oral hygiene and good oral health, one can prevent HPV infection and subsequent HPV-related cancers," said postdoctoral research fellow in the School of Public Health at the University of Texas Health Sciences Center, Thanh Cong Bui.

Researchers of the study have stipulated that because HPV requires an open wound of some kind to infiltrate and infect oral cavities, poor oral health could serve as a gateway for HPV mouth ulcers, mucosal disruption, or chronic inflammation.

However, they admit that no supplemental evidence is currently available to justify such a claim and therefore call for more research.

"Although more research is needed to confirm the causal relationship between oral health and oral HPV infection, people may want to maintain good oral health for a variety of health benefits. Oral hygiene is fundamental for oral health, so good oral hygiene practices should become a personal habit,” said Bui.