Oral health isn’t all about brushing and flossing your teeth daily, avoiding sugary treats, and eating healthy. It’s also more than making sure that you never miss out on your annual visits to the Greeley dentists for dental examinations to ensure you don’t have gum disease or cavity. This is why we have a whole month dedicated to oral cancer awareness.
A study conducted by the American Cancer Society discovered that about 53,000 Americans would be diagnosed to have oral cancer in a single year. Suppose you regularly show up to your annual dental examinations. In that case, you will notice that the dentist always checks your mouth and lips for signs of cancer or precancerous symptoms or even mild irritations such as white patches and sores that, if neglected, could lead to more severe oral issues. Some of the most common signs of oral cancer include:
- Swelling, bumps, lumps, eroded areas, or rough spots around or on the lips or inside the mouth.
- Red or white patches are present inside the mouth or around the lips.
- Spontaneous bleeding in the mouth without any logical explanation.
- Random loss of feeling in the mouth, neck, or face.
- Sores grow more intense over time and do not heal even after two weeks.
- Experience severe difficulty chewing, speaking, swallowing, or moving the tongue or jaw.
Remember, the symptoms of oral cancer are more often than not painful at the early stages and are easy to overlook, which is why it is necessary to approach your dentist as soon as you identify unexplainable symptoms around or in your mouth. If your dentist catches the signs of oral cancer in its early stages, there is a90% chance that your condition is fully cured!
Professionals have observed that gender, genetics, and age play a significant role in the individual’s risk factor of contracting oral cancer. However, they emphasized that the lifestyle you choose plays an even more prominent role. Consumption and tobacco usage, smoking, drinking, HPV, and extreme sun exposure can significantly increase a person’s risk of developing oral cancer.