An important component of any dental exam is oral screening for cancer. Our office examines your mouth, using Oral Cancer Foundation guidelines, at each checkup.
The procedure is so simple you may not realize you’re being screened. We visually examine your lips, mouth, tongue, cheeks and gums for abnormalities or areas of irritation, such as sores, ulcerated spots or white patches, known as leukoplakia. If we find anything suspicious, you will probably need to have the tissue biopsied. Even more than with most cancers, the earlier oral cancer is diagnosed, the greater the chance for successful treatment.
Though cancer of the mouth is rare, it does cause nearly 10,000 deaths each year in the United States. The good news is that you can control many of the risk factors of oral cancer to reduce the likelihood that you will ever be diagnosed with it.
The No. 1 risk is smoking.
About 80% of oral patients smoke cigarettes, cigars, chew tobacco or snuff- and the younger they were when they started and the longer they have used the products, the greater the chance they will end up being diagnosed with cancer.
Other significant oral cancer risk factors, reported by the Cancer Treatment Centers of America, include:
- Alcohol use: About 70% of oral cancer patients are heavy drinkers- and that percent rises if the patient both drinks and smokes.
- HPV: Several of the numerous types of human papillomavirus have been found to be associated with oral cancers. However, most HPV viruses are harmless.
- Ultraviolet light: Ultraviolet light comes from the sun, and cancer of the lip is more common for people who work outdoors or are heavily exposed to sunlight.
- Nutrition: Diets low in fruits and vegetables have been shown to correlate with an increased risk for oral cancer. The protective factor is thought to be Vitamin A.
- Poor dental hygiene: An NIH study by the U.S. National Library of Medicine concluded that poor oral hygiene with infrequent tooth brushing is a risk factor for mouth cancer.
A few risk factors you cannot control but which you should be aware of include:
- Gender: Oral cancer is twice as common in men as women, perhaps because men are more likely to smoke and drink.
- Age: The risk increases as you grow older. The average age at diagnosis is 62; only one-third of oral cancer patients are under age 55.
- Race: African-Americans are more likely to develop oral cancer than other races.
Many people experience mouth sores and irritations, and the great majority of them are not cancerous. However, they should always be checked. If you notice any sores or rough patches anywhere in your mouth, especially if they do not heal within two weeks, contact our office to schedule an oral screening to have the area checked. Caught early, oral cancer can be successfully treated.
