Background

Although the impact of oral hygiene on head and neck cancer risk has been investigated, few studies have been conducted among the Asian population.

Methods

We conducted a multicenter case-control study to investigate this potential association. We performed unconditional multiple logistic regression models adjusted by potential confounders.

Results

We observed an inverse association of frequency of dental visits with head and neck cancer risk, with an adjusted odds ratio (OR) of 3.70 (95% CI 2.51-5.45) for never dental visits compared with ≥1 time/year (P_trend < .001). We also observed a positive association between the number of missing teeth and head and neck cancer risk, with an adjusted OR for ≥5 missing teeth compared with <5 missing teeth of 1.49 (95% CI 1.08-2.04). Combining multiple oral hygiene indicators, poor oral hygiene scores increased head and neck cancer risk.

Conclusion

Poor oral hygiene may increase head and neck cancer risk in the Chinese population. Therefore, improving oral hygiene may contribute to reducing the head and neck cancer risk in the Chinese population.