Most women are familiar with breast cancer awareness month and have a regular mammogram. Most adult men understand that an annual prostate exam can catch prostate cancer early making it highly curable. Most adults over the age of 50 have a colonoscopy at least once every five years because they know that colon cancer is highly curable if caught early. Unfortunately, too many do not know the same for oral cancer.
According to the Oral Cancer Foundation, almost 50,000 Americans will be diagnosed with oral cancer this year but only about half will be alive five years after diagnosis.
Weninger Dentistry wants you to know that that does not have to be the case. If found in the early stages, oral cancer patients have an 80 to 90 percent survival rate. That is why we recommend an annual oral cancer screening.
Who Should Get Screened for Oral Cancer?
Every adult should be screened for oral cancer at least on an annual basis. Someone who uses any kind of tobacco product should make oral cancer screenings a priority, especially!
The earlier oral cancers are found, even as pre-cancers, the better. Like with other cancer screenings – prostate, skin, colon, cervical, and breast cancer – oral cancer screenings are extremely effective. Regular screenings ensure that, should a test be positive, the cancer is found in its highly curable stage.
Early Indicators of Oral Cancer to Watch For
- Hoarseness which lasts for an extended time period.
- Red and/or white discolorations of the soft tissues of the mouth.
- A mouth sore which does not heal within 2 weeks.
Advanced Indicators of Oral Cancer
- Numbness in the oral region.
- A sensation that something is stuck in your throat.
- A sore under a denture, which even after adjustment of the denture, still doesn’t heal.
- Difficulty in moving the jaw or tongue or in swallowing.
- Ear pain on one side of the head only.
- A lump or thickening which develops in the mouth or on the neck.
A Simple and Painless Five Minutes Worth a Lifetime
Everyone should be “cleaned and screened” for oral cancer every time they visit a dentist. It’s so simple and takes just five minutes. There are no needles, no pain, and nothing to fear.
An oral cancer screening should be conducted every year, so give Weninger Dentistry in Tampa a call today and schedule yours. Your dentist enjoys helping protect your smile and thus improving your self-esteem. But saving a life with a five-minute screening – that’s something that more than special.