Oral cancer is a serious matter; it’s estimated that around 54,000 new cases are diagnosed every year, with a significant portion of them having an undesirable prognosis. This means that roughly once an hour, every single day, somebody is fatally afflicted by the disease—which is quite an alarming statistic! But luckily, your dentist can help you understand some of the common risk factors and symptoms associated with oral cancer so that you can protect yourself from it and ensure that your smile is as happy, healthy, and beautiful as can be! Here’s more.
Common Risk Factors Associated with Oral Cancer
Oral cancer isn’t limited to just your teeth or gums; it can affect virtually every structure inside your mouth, including your tongue, lips, and cheeks. This also means that there are several risk factors that have been linked to the illness, including:
- Smoking and tobacco usage
- Excessive alcohol consumption
- Old age
- Human Papillomavirus (HPV), a sexually transmitted disease
- Compromised or weakened immune system
- Sun or radiation exposure
- Other types of cancer
- Chronically poor oral hygiene
Warning Signs to Watch For
It’s also important to remain diligent and watchful; these warning signs and symptoms might indicate oral cancer and warrant a trip to your dentist’s office:
- Swelling in the mouth, neck, or throat
- Hard lumps on your cheeks or near your tongue
- Abnormalities that bleed easily when touched
- Red, pink, or black sores that don’t heal within two weeks
- Constant bad breath
- Difficulty speaking, biting, chewing, and swallowing
General Advice for Minimizing Your Risk of Oral Cancer
You’ll be happy to hear that as devastating as oral cancer can be, it’s also among the most preventable types of cancer out there. There’s quite a bit you can do to safeguard your smile from the disease, and it all starts with regularly visiting your dentist. Every time you go in for a checkup, your provider will carry out an oral cancer screening, which consists of a comprehensive examination of your mouth for precancerous conditions and warning signs. Oral cancer is rarely obvious at first, so allowing a trained set of eyes to closely look at your mouth is the best way of catching the disease early on before it can progressively worsen.
Of course, there’s quite a lot you can do on your own to minimize your risk of oral cancer. Kicking bad habits like smoking or using tobacco, curbing your alcohol intake, and maintaining excellent oral hygiene will all contribute toward a healthier and cancer-free mouth. Even the small things, like using SPF lip balm or wearing a hat to cover your face from harsh sunlight, can make a large difference.
About the Practice
Nebraska natives Dr. Ryan Shaffer and Dr. Steven Shaffer are thrilled to provide patients and families in Lincoln with an exceptional level of dental care! Their practice offers a wide range of preventive, cosmetic, and restorative treatment options that are certain to help you protect, maintain, and enhance your smile. If you have any questions about the blog or would like to schedule an appointment for you or a loved one, you can contact their practice online or over the phone for further assistance: (402) 423-1616.