Our Philadelphia Dentist Can Spot Oral Cancer

As a local Philadelphia dentist, we treat patients of all ages and work to ensure that our patients stay in good oral health.  This starts at home with regular preventative care and a healthy diet and is completed with dental examinations and cleanings every six months.  During these examinations, we look for signs of cavities, gum disease, and oral cancer.  Identifying any of these problems early makes it easier to treat them.

Oral cancer is a major concern.  The American Cancer Society reports that at least 35,000 people are diagnosed with oral cancer in the U.S. every year.  The disease is more likely to impact men than women and men over the age of fifty are at the greatest risk.  The challenge is that many people don’t know about oral cancer.  It is not discussed or on television commercials like breast cancer or heart disease.  As such, it tends to be ignored until someone is diagnosed with it.  Even then, many people have oral cancer but don’t know it because they are unaware of the symptoms.

As a Philadelphia dentist, we strive to educate our patients so that they can be informed of what needs to be done in order to stay in good oral health along with how to avoid oral health issues.  There are specific triggers that make people more likely to have oral cancer, and we recommend avoiding all of them.  This includes:

• Overexpose to the sun.  Too much sun, especially as a child, has been linked to higher risks of oral cancer.  Avoid too much exposure by spending time in the shade or wearing a sun hat.
• Drinking too much.  Many people are surprised to learn that drinking too much alcohol can actually increase your risk of oral cancer by six times.  Most doctors believe that excessive drinking is either binge drinking or having more than two drinks a day on a regular basis.  If you are drinking in excess, cutting down will be good for your liver and for your mouth.
• Smoking.  People that smoke cigarettes or cigars have a six times greater chance of getting oral cancer.  Surprisingly, this is the same percentage increase as those that drink too much.
• Smokeless tobacco.  This is the largest culprit of oral cancer and increases a persons’ risk by sixty times.  This includes snuff, chew, and dip. Many people make the mistake of using smokeless tobacco because they believe that it is healthy for them when compared to cigarettes.  It may be better for the lungs, but the increased risk of oral cancer makes it something to avoid entirely.

It is important to have your teeth examined and cleaned by our Philadelphia dentist every six months.  These regular checkups are the time where we can examine your mouth and look for signs of oral cancer such as: red velvety bumps, sores that won’t heal, bleeding, lumps, bumps, and rough patches inside of the mouth.  If we notice any cancerous symptoms, we will let you know and discuss the steps for having tests completed.