At Endres Gateway Dentistry in Cincinnati, we urge people to come in twice a year for a dental checkup and cleaning. If you skip twice-yearly dental checkups because you don’t believe you have any cavities, perhaps getting an oral cancer screening is a more persuasive reason to see your dentist regularly.
In the last few decades, lung and breast cancer have had 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 tested positive for HPV, you have a higher risk for developing oral cancer.
At Endres Gateway Dentistry, we work to increase awareness of oral cancer and the importance of early diagnosis. Courtesy of the CDC, Oral Cancer Foundation, and Johns Hopkins Medicine, here are 5 important things to know about oral (mouth) and oropharyngeal (back of mouth and throat) cancers.
- About 80% of people with oral cancer use some type of tobacco (cigarettes, chewing tobacco, pipes).
- 40% of people who receive late-stage diagnosis of oral cancer pass away within five years. The survival rate for early stage diagnosis is 90%.
- In many cases, it is extremely difficult for the individual to detect oral and oropharyngeal cancers because they can produce indistinct symptoms or no symptoms at all. Any abnormality in the mouth or throat, even if small and painless, should be examined by a dentist or doctor.
- HPV (the most frequent sexually transmitted disease in the US) is the most common cause of oropharyngeal cancer. Of the various strains of HPV, HPV16 is the one most regularly linked to oropharyngeal cancer.
- Black males have a higher risk of dying from oral cancer than whites.
At Endres Gateway Dentistry, serving Cincinnati, Loveland, and the surrounding area, oral cancer screenings are part of our family dentistry. Other services include cosmetic dentistry. Schedule your next appointment with us today.
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/oralhealth/conditions/index.html
Contact Endres Gateway Dentistry:
513-791-8880
Location (Tap to open in Google Maps):
9380 Montgomery Rd Ste 204
Cincinnati, Ohio
45242
