Dental Checkups Are Not Just About Cavities
At Blaisdell Family Dentistry we encourage people to come in twice a year for a dental examination and cleaning. If you avoid twice-yearly dental checkups because you don’t believe you have any decay, perhaps getting an oral cancer screening is a more persuasive reason to see your dentist regularly. (While your dentist is checking for oral cancer, we urge you to have a thorough dental examination as well!)
Oral Cancers Don’t Get as Much Attention
In the last few decades, lung and breast cancer has garnered a lot of public attention. There is relatively less awareness of oral cancer even though it claims almost 10,000 lives every year in the United States. If you smoke or have acquired HPV, you have an increased risk of developing oral cancer.
Early Diagnosis is Critical
At Blaisdell Family Dentistry, we work to increase awareness of oral cancer and the significance of early diagnosis. Courtesy of the CDC, Oral Cancer Foundation, and Johns Hopkins Medicine, here are 5 vital things to know about oral (mouth) and oropharyngeal (back of mouth and throat) cancers.
1. About 80% of individuals with oral cancer use some variety of tobacco (cigarettes, chewing tobacco, pipes).
2. 40% of men and women who receive a late-stage diagnosis of oral cancer pass away within five years. The survival rate for early-stage diagnosis is 90%.
3. In many cases, it is extremely challenging for the individual to detect oral and oropharyngeal cancers because they can produce unobtrusive symptoms or no symptoms at all. Any abnormality in the mouth or throat, even if small and painless, should be checked out by a dentist or doctor.
4. HPV (the most prevalent sexually transmitted disease in the U.S.) is the most common cause of oropharyngeal cancer. Of the various strains of HPV, HPV16 is the one most often linked to oropharyngeal cancer.
5. Black males have a significantly higher risk of dying from oral cancer than whites.
An oral cancer check is easy!
A visual oral cancer exam is relatively quick and convenient, especially as compared to other cancer screening tests such as colonoscopies and mammograms. If an abnormality is discovered during an exam, the patient is referred to an appropriate specialist for further testing and diagnosis.
Sources:
http://www.hopkinsmedicine.org/healthlibrary/conditions/oral_health/oral_cancer_and_tobacco_85,P00900/
http://oralcancerfoundation.org/understanding/hpv/hpv-oral-cancer-facts/
https://www.cdc.gov/oral-health/about/about-oral-cancer.html
Contact Blaisdell Family Dentistry:
208-377-9696
Location (Tap to open in Google Maps):
8877 W Hackamore Dr
Boise, Idaho
83709
