Oral Cancer Awareness Month began this month and at Willoughby Dental we want to express the importance of early detection!
Studies show that oral cancer takes the life of one American every hour? Only half of patients diagnosed with oral cancer will survive longer than five years. Because it is often detected in the later stages, oral cancer’s mortality rate is higher than that of cervical cancer, brain, liver, kidney, or ovarian cancer. Treatment for oral cancer often causes disfiguration and lessens the quality of life.
According to the Oral Cancer Foundation, close to 37,000 Americans will be diagnosed with oral or pharyngeal cancer this year, which is responsible for approximately 8,000 deaths annually. Common risk factors for oral cancer include use of tobacco products (smoked and smokeless), excessive alcohol consumption, and HPV infection. More women in the United States will be diagnosed with oral cancers this year than will be diagnosed with cervical cancer, and now studies show an increasing link between the human papillomavirus and oral cancer.
Possible signs and symptoms of oral cancer include: sores in the throat or in the mouth that bleed easily and does not heal within 7-10 days; a lump or thickening in the cheek; a white or red patch on the gums, tongue, tonsil or lining of the mouth; a sore throat or a feeling that something is caught in the throat; difficulty chewing or swallowing; difficulty moving the jaw or tongue; or numbness of the tongue or other area of the mouth.
Willoughby Dental makes cancer screenings a routine part of your examinations. By checking the all the tissues especially the high risk sites for oral cancer we are able find, treat, and help lower the risk of oral cancer’s potential.
