When you go for a dental check-up you may wonder why the dentist inspects not only the condition of your teeth but also looks at your tongue, the inside of your mouth, under your tongue, and uses their hands to check the exterior of your throat and neck.
The reason your dentist may do such a thorough check is to find oral cancer in its early stage.
Like all cancers, early diagnosis and treatment saves lives. Each year approximately 54,000 people in the U.S. will be diagnosed with oral cancer and 11,000 will lose their lives to oral cancers each year even though five-year survival rates have increased from the mid-1970s.1
While oral cancer can strike anyone, if you use tobacco in any form including cigarettes, cigars, pipes, chewing tobacco and snuff, or drink alcohol to excess, you are at higher risk for oral cancer.2
Other risk factors include a previous oral cancer diagnosis and a history of significant sun exposure. The sexually transmitted human papillomavirus (HPV) has also been associated with an uptick in mouth and throat cancers over the last several years.3
Mouth cancer, or oral cancer, can occur on the lips, gums, tongue, inner lining of the cheeks, and the roof and floor of the mouth. Sores that don’t heal, white or reddish patches, growths or lumps, mouth or ear pain, difficult or painful swallowing and loose teeth are all signs of oral cancer.4
Tongue cancer, a type of oral cancer, often appears first as red or white patches or a lump or sore on the tongue that is painful, may bleed easily, and does not heal.5 Other tongue cancer symptoms include jaw or throat pain, pain when swallowing, numbness in the mouth and unexplained weight loss.
There is no scientific evidence to support that oral cancer screening saves lives.6 However, if even one patient’s oral cancer is caught in an early stage, the few minutes it takes for a dentist to perform an oral cancer exam can be critical.
Oral cancer screening isn’t uncomfortable for the patient so many dentists feel that it is another tool in their arsenal to help their patients stay healthy. If you experience any of the symptoms or oral or tongue cancer, don’t wait. See your dentist right away.
Visit a Dentist for a Dental Screening Near You Today
Call to schedule a Free Consultation with Dr Hechtman at our Walled Lake Dental Office. Regular dental checkups are vital to so much more than clean teeth and a bright smile, they are vital to detecting disease and maintaining your overall health. As a Patient’s Choice Winner and more than 40 years of experience you will receive unmatched dental care in all areas dental health.
Whether you are seeking cosmetic dentistry to create a beautiful smile, dental treatments to restore your smile or need your teeth cleaned, our dental office in Walled Lake is the perfect choice for all these and more!
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1 Oral Cancer
Link: https://www.nidcr.nih.gov/research/data-statistics/oral-cancer
2, 3, 6 Oral Cancer Screening
Link: https://www.mayoclinic.org/tests-procedures/oral-cancer-screening/about/pac-20394802
4 Mouth Cancer
Link: https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/mouth-cancer/symptoms-causes/syc-20350997
5 What Are the Early Signs of Tongue Cancer? by Bethany Cadman and Jenna Fletcher, 1/25/2024
Link: https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/322519#treatment