Cancer is a number of diseases caused by the abnormal growth of cells. Sometimes cells grow out of control, divide and form masses known as tumors.

Facts On Oral Cancer

Oral cancer accounts for only 3 percent of all cancers. It is treatable when detected early by your dentist. If treated promptly, there is a very good chance that it can be cured. More than 90 percent of oral cancers are squamous cell cancers, which develop in the lining or covering of the mouth, lips, tongue, and throat. It can also be spread through the lymph nodes and into the neck.

Signs, Symptoms & Early Detection The most common sign of oral cancer is a sore which does not heal and bleeds easily. A lump or thickening in the mouth or white patches which last longer than two weeks, difficulty in chewing or swallowing food and the inability to move the tongue freely can also be signs of oral cancer. Dentists detect oral cancer during routine check ups. The American Cancer Society recommends getting a dental exam every 6 to 12 months. Dental x-rays are the only way your dentist can see if tumors are present in your jaw and beneath the gum surface.

Guarding Against Oral Cancer

1. Don’t use tobacco in any form. Don’t smoke cigarettes, cigars, or pipes, or use chewing tobacco or snuff.
2. If you drink alcohol, drink only in moderation.
3. Avoid exposure to strong direct sunlight. Those who must be in the sun should use a sunscreen and apply it often.
4. Have regular dental checkups. Any jagged teeth or irritating dentures should be fixed.
5. Any white patch, lump, or scaly area on the lips or in the mouth that last longer than two weeks should be checked by a doctor.

The good news: It can be found early in its development

Today while you are at the doctor’s office in just 3 to 5 minutes, you can receive comprehensive oral cancer examination. This exam should include a visual & tactile exploration of the interior of your mouth, as well as the underside of your chin & neck. Some doctors may use a special light or a special dye to aid in the discovery of tissues which are suspicious if an area of concern is located the doctor may use a small brush to collect cells from that area for examination under a microscope. If the doctor suspects that some thing is abnormal, it is standard procedure to refer you to a specialist for another opinion, and perhaps even a small, painless biopsy of the tissue in question.

Referral for a second opinion should alarm you, but assure you that the doctor wants to conclusively determine what any abnormality may be. Most abnormalities turn out to be benign conditions. This quick in expensive cancer examination will allow any serious condition to be caught at the earliest possible time, when treatments are the most effective. An oral cancer screening such as this should be conducted every year, and is easily in corporate in to your routine visits for health check-ups, or cleanings and regular exam at the dental office. For those who engaged in known risk factors such as the use of tobacco, it should be done more frequently. In the future, new discovery and diagnostic tools currently being tasted and developed may be used. However, the visual and tactile screening techniques available today are more than adequate to find oral cancers in their most highly curable stages. The entire health care team at the office, including the nurse of the dental hygienist, may be involved in portions of this examination. All are concern with seeing that any area of suspicion is caught.