Oral Cancer

Early Detection is Your Best Protection

Cancer is never welcome; especially not oral cancer, which has a high mortality rate unless caught in the very early stages. Unfortunately, it's painless and sneaky, often going undetected until it's advanced far beyond what's successfully treatable. That's why you should know and conscientiously avoid the risk factors, and routinely undergo a meticulous professional screening by your dentist.

Chronic Irritations Create Bad Situations

The five most common risk factors for oral cancer are: tobacco use, frequent high quantity alcohol consumption, constant sunlight exposure, habitual cheek or lip biting, or poorly fitting dentures. In fact, 80-90% of oral cancers are found in people who smoke or chew tobacco, drink excessively, or do both…doubling the risk. Anything causing constant irritation to mouth and lip tissues may eventually result in white patches of leukoplakia, which may experience excessive cell growth, leading to cancer. Our part in fighting this disease consists of our thorough screening process: we check for those tell-tale white patches, persistent mouth sores, tissue color changes, spots of pain, tenderness, numbness or any changes in your bite. We'll also ask about lifestyle habits, difficulty chewing, swallowing, speaking or moving your tongue. If needed, we'll order a biopsy to eliminate concern. And your part is to simply avoid the risk factors and be safe, not sorry!

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