April is Oral Cancer Awareness Month —
You may not have known someone with oral cancer, but the
incidence of it is on the rise. Oral
cancers can affect the tongue, cheeks, lips, gums and the hard or soft
palate. In the U.S. alone, approximately
100 people everyday will be diagnosed with a form of mouth cancer and 1 person
will die from oral cancer every hour of the day. 1
in women.
Oral cancers also evolve due to chemical factors. Those who choose to smoke, chew tobacco or
consume alcohol are more likely to develop cancers of the mouth. These types of lifestyles tend to develop
oral cancer later in life due to the fact of prolonged exposure.
Another vehicle for oral cancer to strike is exposure to the
sun. Our lips, are of course part of our
skin, so when you lather up with sunscreen, don’t forget a lip balm with an
SPF.
According to the American Dental Association, signs to look
for to detect oral cancer are:
·
A sore that bleeds easily or doesn’t heal
·
A color change in the tissues of the mouth
·
Any lump, rough spot, crust or thickening
·
Pain, tenderness, or numbness in the lips or
mouth
·
Difficulty chewing, swallowing, speaking or
moving the jaw or tongue
On a positive note, oral cancer can
now be detected easily. By seeing your
dentist regularly for exams, any changes in your mouth can be noted. There may be areas in your mouth that look
suspicious but a lot of the time, tend to be harmless, such as an area you may
have bitten or burned. Your dentist is
trained to look for these things. He or
she may have you come back in a couple of weeks to recheck the area and you may
or may not be sent to a specialist. In
general, if a suspicious looking area has not gone away in approximately 14
days, that would be the time to have a professional check it. When detected early, the survival rate of
oral cancer is 80-90%. 1
Remember, there are numerous reasons
to visit us at Szmanda Dental on a regular basis and this is obviously an important
one. Make sure you get on a 6 month
dental hygiene schedule in which you will not only have clean teeth afterwards,
but will have had an exam to check for things such as oral cancer. Make an appointment at Szmanda Dental today!
Information compiled from the 1Oral Cancer
Foundation, the ADA and Szmanda Dental Center Staff.
© Szmanda Dental Center, S.C. 2012
