April is designated as the month
when dentists highlight oral cancer, and increase awareness about the
prevention and treatment of oral cancer. More than 35,000 Americans will be
diagnosed with oral cancer this year. It is vital to stress the importance of
early detection as the survival rate for those diagnosed early is 75% compared
to a 20% survival rate in those whose cancer has spread.
How can you act preventatively
towards oral cancer?
Oral cancer screenings should be
a routine element of dental hygiene and dental appointments. Visiting the
dentist twice a year for checkups/cleanings will ensure that you will catch any
signs of oral cancer fairly quickly. Specifically ask your dentist to do an
oral cancer screening and they will check for the most common signs. Mortenson
Family Dental uses a more progressive oral cancer detection system called
Velscope that is quick, painless, and tasteless and can catch trouble spots
before they can be seen by the naked eye.
Consider quitting smoking and
tobacco use, and limiting your alcohol consumption. Most people diagnosed with
oral cancer this year will be tobacco users of some kind. Smoking and drinking
together, especially when both are done in above-average quantities, hugely increases
your chances of contracting oral cancer. People who smoke and drink heavily are
almost 15 times more likely to contract oral cancer.
Be preventative! Stop tobacco
use, limit alcohol consumption and visit your dentist regularly, and you just
may be oral cancer free for life.
