Plaque and periodontitis problems caused by incomplete brushing may increase the risk of dying from cancer, according to US scientists. A study has further revealed that severe plaque, oral bacteria problems increase the risk of death from cancer by 80% and may reduce life expectancy by 13 years. According to the UK’s Daily Mail, US scientists say that plaque and periodontitis problems caused by incomplete brushing may increase the risk of dying from cancer. One in five cancer patients reportedly have symptoms of oral infection and inflammation. A study further revealed that severe plaque, oral bacteria problems increase the risk of dying from cancer by 80 percent and may reduce life expectancy by 13 years. Periodontal disease is reported to cause bad breath, bleeding gums, and in severe cases, cavities, receding gums, and tooth loss. Scientists say it is linked to a range of chronic diseases, such as heart disease, which is partly caused by inflammation that starts in the gums and enters the blood vessels. A similar study by Swedish scientists said that poor oral hygiene could mean having other habits that could lead to cancer. Swedish scientists conducted a 24-year study starting in 1985. They randomly selected 1,390 adults in Stockholm for a medical examination, the study began when all the respondents were aged 30-40 years old, the scientists will have their habits that may cause cancer (such as smoking, etc.) recorded in the record, including oral health, the respondents, no one has serious periodontal disease, but the teeth and gums surface have varying degrees of plaque problems. By 2009, there had been 58 deaths, 1/3 of which were female, and 35% due to cancer. The average age of death in the study was 60 years for men and 61 years for women, and these deaths were 13 years shorter than life expectancy for women and 8.5 years shorter for men, so they were treated as premature deaths. While the women in the study died primarily from breast cancer, the men had different types of cancer. The correlation between having plaque, periodontitis and premature death was still high after removing the influence of other factors (such as whether or not one smoked).