Submitted by Emil M. Verban, Jr., DDS, McLean County Dental
Most people know about the benefits of various screening procedures to detect cancer in its earliest stages; women should have regular mammograms and PAP smears; everyone over 50 should have a colonoscopy; men typically have a PSA test for prostate cancer; and, the warning signs for skin cancer are well publicized. But we don’t often hear about the screening procedure to detect oral cancer. While oral cancer is not as common as breast cancer, lung cancer, or colon cancer, the five-year survival rate is less than 60 percent. Approximately, 42,000 people will be diagnosed with oral cancer each year and about 8,000 will die from the disease.
Oral cancer includes cancers of any area of the mouth as well as the pharynx, which is the back of the throat. Oral cancer can spread very quickly, so early detection is especially important. And, screening for oral cancer is easy! It only takes a few minutes, doesn’t involve an invasive test or extra procedure, includes no discomfort, and there is no extra cost as it should be included as part of your annual dental check-up.
Oral cancer occurs most often in people over the age of 40 and affects more than twice as many men as women. Following are some of the risk factors for developing oral cancer:
- Tobacco use of any kind causes most oral cancers. This includes cigarettes, cigars, pipes, or smokeless tobacco such as snuff and chewing tobacco. Heavy users and those who have used tobacco for a long time have an even greater risk.
- People who are heavy drinkers are more likely to develop oral cancer than people who don’t drink alcohol. The risk increases with the amount of alcohol that a person drinks. The risk increases even more if the person both drinks alcohol and uses tobacco.
- Infection with the sexually transmitted HPV virus (specifically the HPV 16 type) has been linked to oral cancers. These viruses are passed from person to person through sexual contact. Cancer at the base of the tongue, at the back of the throat, in the tonsils, or in the soft palate is linked with HPV infection.
- Sun exposure can cause cancer of the lip. The risk of cancer of the lip increases if the person also smokes.
As part of your regular dental checkup, a dentist or dental hygienist will look very closely at the roof of your mouth, back of your throat, and the insides of your cheeks and lips. They will also gently pull out your tongue so it can be checked on the sides and underneath and check the lymph nodes in your neck. Here is what your dentist is looking for:
- White or reddish patches inside your mouth or on your lips.
- A sore on your lip or in your mouth that doesn’t heal after two weeks
- Bleeding in your mouth
- A feeling that something is caught in your throat
- Difficulty chewing or swallowing
- Difficulty moving your jaw or tongue
- Numbness in your tongue or other areas of your mouth
- Swelling of your jaw that causes dentures to fit poorly or become uncomfortable
- Pain in one ear without hearing loss
It’s important to know that any of the above symptoms are only of concern if they do not resolve on their own after two weeks. For example, it’s quite common to have a sore on your lip, but these sores usually go away after a week or so. Dentists do not diagnose cancer during their examination — only a biopsy can do that. However, if they see something that looks suspicious, they will recommend further evaluation or referral to a specialist.
According to the Oral Cancer Foundation, “It is important that both private individuals, and members of the dental community, realize that a visit to the dentist is no longer only about a filling, a crown, or a “postpone-able” cleaning, but can be a matter of life and death. Dental examinations, when properly done and include a screening for oral cancer, will save lives.”
For more information on dental health, you may contact Emil Verban, Jr., DDS at 309-662-8448 or visit www.mcleancountydental.com. McLean County Dental is located at 2103 E. Washington Street in Bloomington. Dr. Verban provides his patients both general dentistry expertise and the ability to provide specialized services such as cosmetic procedures and dental implants.
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