 |
The study last week classifying the benefits of coffee drinking may need to be reviewed. A dentist from the Loyola Health University System isn’t so sure there are any actual health benefits to drinking coffee.
The American Cancer Society study indicated that drinking large amounts of coffee could lower the risk of oral cancer by around 50 percent. Dentist Martin Hogan, however, doesn’t see coffee as being all that helpful, especially when considering that coffee, along with tea and red wine, is one of the top causes of damage to tooth enamel.
Hogan also refuted the idea that drinking four cups of coffee each day has other health benefits.
More factors need to be weighed when considering all aspects of coffee on oral health and overall health. The major risk factors for oral cancer are drinking, smoking and exposure to the human papillomavirus. Hogan, and others, find it hard to believe that coffee can curb oral cancer in any way.
One of the main problems for people afflicted with oral cancer is that they discover the problem when it’s too late to turn back the devastating effects.
To prevent oral cancer from developing, it’s important to visit the dentist on a regular basis. It’s also key to look for swelling in the mouth or throat, ulcers, numbness in the tongue, difficulty swallowing, and red or white patches in the mouth.
