April is Oral Cancer Awareness month and Dental Associates wants to help educate you on the signs and symptoms of this cancer, as well as encourage you to regularly get screened for oral cancer.
Nearly 50,000 people in the US are diagnosed with oral cancer per year, and over 9,000 people a year will die. However, when detected early, oral cancer is one of the most survivable cancers—that’s why regular oral cancer screenings are so important.
Oral Cancer Signs
Oral cancer can be caused by UV light exposure, poor nutrition, tobacco and alcohol use, genetics, the HPV virus, and more. Like a lot of cancers, it’s usually painless and unseen. Some people have sores in their mouth but it’s usually hidden in a place where you can’t see them such as at the base of or underneath the tongue. Men are twice as likely to have oral cancer as women, and two-thirds of those with oral cancer are over 55.
At every Dental Associates clinic, we do oral cancer screenings at each new patient comprehensive exam and with every periodic exam associated with your cleaning. This helps detect signs of oral cancer at the earliest possibility because the earlier it’s detected, the higher the chances of overcoming the disease.
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More information about oral cancer from Dental Associates
Dental Associates’ Strong Showing at the Oral Cancer Foundation 5K