Oral cancer can be spotted in a dental check-up or during a teeth cleaning. Your dentist and dental hygienist are both trained to spot signs of oral cancer. According to the Oral Cancer Foundation, earlier detection usually does correlate with higher survival rates.
With April being Oral Cancer Awareness Month, it is the perfect time to visit your dentist for a screening. Your screening can be done during a regular dental check-up, including cleanings. Signs of oral cancer may include a sore in your mouth that won’t heal, numbness in your lower lip, or even persistent earache.
The More You Know
Early diagnosis is really important for treatment in oral cancer. One of the main ways it is diagnosed is through a dental visit, which is why we recommend staying on top of your regularly scheduled cleanings and check-ups. Surprisingly, a whooping 68% of U.S. consumers either know very little or nothing at all about oral cancer. Additionally, only 36% reported that they were screened during their last dental check-up, and fewer than 24% spoke with their dentist about their risk.
Awareness and prevention is very important for oral, mouth, tongue, tonsil and throat cancer. Tobacco & alcohol use are the two main causes of oral cancer, but many people don’t realize that exposure to the human papilloma virus is also a main contributor. Very few people actually are diagnosed with oral cancer with undefined causes, although genetics may also have a small role to play.
As you can see, it’s important to see your dentist for your regular check-ups. If you would like to schedule an appointment for a dental check-up, a teeth cleaning, or anything else, please give us a call today. You may also schedule your appointment online!
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