Maintain Regular Dental Appointments For Oral Cancer Screenings
The month of April was oral cancer awareness month
, but your Madison, WI dentist continues to place a strong emphasis on this topic in the months following. Your dental professional is trained to evaluate the health of all the oral tissues. If you have even the slightest concern, it is important to have it checked out. With more than 40,000 cases of oral cancer reported every year, oral cancer is very common.
The earlier oral cancer is detected and treated, the greater the survival rate, so continue to seek regular dental care and oral cancer screenings from your Madison dentist to ensure the health of your mouth. Your dentist has recent good news about the progress against cancer. It is now easier than every before to detect oral cancer early, when the opportunity for a cure is great.
What is Oral Cancer?
Oral cancer is the uncontrollable growth of cells that invade and cause damage to surrounding tissue. It appears as a growth or sore that does not go away and includes cancers of the lips, tongue, cheek, floor of the mouth, hard and soft palate, sinuses, and throat. If not diagnosed and treated early, oral cancer can be life-threatening.
Some common signs and symptoms of oral cancer include:
*Swelling/thickenings, lumps or bumps
*The development of velvety white, red, or speckled patches in the mouth
*Unexplained bleeding in the mouth
*Unexplained numbness, loss of feeling, or pain/tenderness in any area of the face, mouth or neck
*Persistent sores
*Difficulty chewing or swallowing, speaking, or moving the jaw or tongue
*Hoarseness, chronic sore throat, or changes in the voice
*Ear pain
*A change in the way your teeth or dentures fit together
*Dramatic weight loss
If you notice any of these changes it is important to contact your dentist for a professional examination.
Maintain Regular Checkups with Your Madison Dentist
An oral cancer screening is a routine part of a dental examination, which is essential in the early detection of cancerous and pre-cancerous conditions. You may have a very small, but dangerous, oral spot or sore and not be aware of it. Your dentist will carefully examine the inside of your mouth and tongue.
In some patients, a dentist will notice a flat, painless, white or red spot or sore. Even though most of these are harmless, some are not, which makes it important to properly test and diagnose these spots. If precancerous cells are found, treatment can be prescribed to remove the lesion.
To help prevent oral cancer, you can do the following:
*Don't smoke or use any tobacco products and drink alcohol in moderation
*Eat a well balanced diet
*Limit your exposure to the sun
Only half of all patients diagnosed with oral cancer survive more than five years. Your dentist has the skills and tools to ensure that early signs of cancer and precancerous conditions are identified. You and your Madison, WI dentist can fight and win the battle against oral cancer by knowing the early signs and visiting your dentist regularly.
by: Gen Wright
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