Dental Checkups Are Not Just About Cavities
At The Dental Design Center – Ira J. Handschuh, D.D.S. we encourage people to come in twice a year for a dental examination and cleaning. If you forego twice-yearly dental checkups because you don’t believe you have any tooth decay, perhaps getting an oral cancer screening is a more convincing reason to see your dentist regularly. (While your dentist is checking for oral cancer, we urge you to have a thorough dental checkup as well!)
Oral Cancers Don’t Get as Much Attention
In the last few decades, lung and breast cancer have drawn a lot of public attention. There is relatively less awareness of oral cancer even though it claims almost 10,000 lives every year in the United States. If you smoke or have tested positive for HPV, you have an increased risk for developing oral cancer.
Early Diagnosis is Critical
At The Dental Design Center – Ira J. Handschuh, D.D.S., we work to raise awareness of oral cancer and the importance of early diagnosis. Courtesy of the CDC, Oral Cancer Foundation, and Johns Hopkins Medicine, here are 5 vital things to know about oral (mouth) and oropharyngeal (back of mouth and throat) cancers.
1. About 80% of men and women with oral cancer use some variety of tobacco (cigarettes, chewing tobacco, pipes).
2. 40% of people who receive late-stage diagnosis of oral cancer die within five years. The survival rate for early stage diagnosis is 90%.
3. In many cases, it is almost impossible for the individual to detect oral and oropharyngeal cancers because they can produce indistinct symptoms or no symptoms at all. Any abnormality in the mouth or throat, even if small and painless, should be evaluated by a dentist or doctor.
4. HPV (the most frequent sexually transmitted disease in the U.S.) is the most common cause of oropharyngeal cancer. Of the copious strains of HPV, HPV16 is the one most often linked to oropharyngeal cancer.
5. Black males have a considerably higher risk of dying from oral cancer than whites.
An oral cancer check is easy!
A visual oral cancer exam is relatively quick and convenient, especially as compared to other cancer screening tests such as colonoscopies and mammograms. If an abnormality is discovered during an exam, the patient is referred to an appropriate specialist for further testing and diagnosis.
Contact The Dental Design Center – Ira J. Handschuh, D.D.S.:
