Cancer and Healthy

I am sometimes surprised by the comments I got from patients after performing a routine dental examination we or a new patient evaluation, which includes an oral cancer screening. "I've never had it done before," or "What would you do it?" Some of the comments I hear.

Although dentistry offers our patients with a wide range of services from dental repair and periodontal (gum) treatments for pain relief and aesthetic reconstruction, we must not see the importance of a potentially life-saving practices, which consists of an oral cancer screening.

The following data should reinforce the importance of an oral cancer screening.

Statistics: In 2008 in the United States alone, approximately 34,000 people will be diagnosed with oral cancer. 66% of the time will be found as late stage III or IV disease. Low public awareness of the disease is a major factor, but these cancers can be found in its early, extremely viable stages through a simple, painless 1 minute examination of a professionally trained dental equipment or other health care professionals.

Risk Factors: Research has a number of factors that can contribute to the development of oral cancer. The most common is the use of tobacco and alcohol. Others include poor hygiene, irritation caused by ill-fitting dentures and rough surfaces of the teeth, poor nutrition, a number of chronic infections and combinations of these factors.

Signs and symptoms: Unfortunately, in the early stages, oral cancer can go undetected. It may look like a first joint sores, cold sore or a discoloration of tissues. Usually it involves tissue of the lips or tongue, floor of the mouth, cheek lining, gums or palate (palate).

Fortunately, your dentist can see or feel if a lesion looks cancer. If you have any type of lesion in your mouth, or on your lips, it does not heal within two weeks, or difficulty swallowing for a long period of time, it is very important to your dentist immediately.

If your dentist does not find a suspicious lesion in your mouth, he / she could remove, but will most likely send you to a specialist for the removal and biopsy, which is a painless procedure.