What Are the Early Warning Signs of Oral Cancer?


When we talk about dental problems, it is likely that issues such as cavities or root canals, come to mind. However, did you know, each year, thousands of patients are diagnosed with oral cancer?

Thankfully, when this condition is caught early on, patients have a high survival rate. Unfortunately, in more than half of oral cancer cases, patients learn about their diagnosis once it has reached its advanced stage. With all that said, it is clear that diagnosing oral cancer as early as possible is crucial, and for that reason, so is learning the signs and symptoms.

Signs and Symptoms

When it comes to any disease, prevention is better than cure, and this couldn’t be truer in regards to oral or mouth cancer. Firstly, you should know that oral cancer can occur anywhere in your mouth, your cheeks, beneath the middle and front of your tongue, as well as on the tissue lining of your mouth or gum. Although symptoms will vary from patient to patient, if you notice any of the following symptoms over the course of two weeks, visit your dental office in McKenzie Towne:

• Chewing troubles or troubles swallowing
• Swelling, sores, lumps in your mouth or throat
• Numbness, pain, or tenderness in your mouth
• Red or white patches in your mouth or lips
• Difficulty moving your jaw or tongue
• A constant sore throat
• Ear pain

Causes and Risk Factors for Oral Cancer

While the exact causes of oral cancer are still ambiguous, certain risk factors can be attributed to this disease—one of these being smoking. According to statistics, 90 percent of people with oral cancer smoke.

Another contributing factor to oral cancer is increased alcohol use. Also, age heightens your risk, and the majority of patients with oral cancer are a minimum of 62 years old.

Prevention

An oral cancer screening in McKenzie Towne, is a concise procedure carried out by your dentist. In a matter of minutes, an oral cancer screening near you could potentially save your life. This brief procedure can occur during your regular dental checkup. Early detection is critical and is attributed to a high survival rate. At your next dental visit, ask your dental clinic near you about an oral cancer screening. At your routine checkup, your dentist in McKenzie Towne will visually inspect your lips and face for oral cancer signs. They will also check the top and underside of your tongue. This is a painless test that should be carried out every six months.

Those diagnosed with oral cancer have a few treatment options, which include a combination of therapies—radiation therapy and chemotherapy. If the cancer is in its early stages, these treatments are most effective. However, once the cancer spreads to other areas, it becomes more challenging to treat and isolate the cancer.

An oral cancer screening in McKenzie Towne can save your life. It is also recommended that you schedule regular dental checkups every six months. When you neglect your oral health, that’s when issues can fall right through the cracks. Additionally, avoid tobacco and alcohol use and evaluate your diet—it should be balanced. Lastly, never put off a trip to the dental office near you when you suspect there is something wrong—in other words, when you notice a symptom that is out of the ordinary. Your oral health should always be a top priority. For more information on oral cancer screenings near you, consult with your dentist at your dental clinic in McKenzie Towne. He or she will be happy to answer any questions you may have about this service.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Introducing Bioclear, an Alternative to Porcelain Veneers

Image
  For people looking for solutions for chipped, discoloured or unusually small teeth, veneers and bonding have always been great options. Now, though, your dentist in McKenzie Towne can offer you a third option. Bioclear is a new alternative to veneers and bonding that involves the placement of thin shells made from composite material over flawed teeth. Here’s an introduction to Bioclear near you. What can Bioclear do for you? Bioclear is a quick, non-invasive and one-appointment alternative to veneers, crowns and bonding for remedying teeth flawed by chips, cracks, dark-looking gaps between them, stains, inconsistently sizes, small size, decay and discolouration. How does the Bioclear process work? Your dentist will use Bioclear in McKenzie Towne to transform your teeth using a five-step process that is completely painless and accomplished in a single appointment. The ability to walk into your dentist’s office with flawed teeth and walk out of that same appointment with ...
Read more

Tips For Preventing Gum Disease

Image
Almost all humans are guilty of one thing: paying attention to the obvious while neglecting the things that are not so egregious. One case of this is the attention we pay to our teeth and our gums. The white teeth are what make the smile brighter, so it is what matters, meanwhile the pearly teeth may soon drop to be valuable stones that can't fit well in the mouth if the gum decays. To make things worse, several scientists now believe that gum disease can also influence and heighten conditions like heart disease and stroke - I believe we certainly do not want to facilitate these conditions by not paying enough attention to good oral hygiene. Unfortunately, since gum disease is usually without pain, most people are oblivious to the fact that anything is wrong with their gums; talk about suffering and smiling. It is important to start, however, with the fact that it is the gathering of plaque under and along the gum line that infections and diseases that can hurt the gum start fr...
Read more

How Long Does It Take to Recover from a Tooth Extraction?

Image
Recovery time after a tooth extraction in McKenzie Towne  will vary from one patient to another. For example, patients who have had their wisdom tooth removed will take longer to heal. Additionally, patients who are suffering from other medical conditions may continue to experience discomfort for a longer time. However, there are some essential steps that you can take to ensure that you are on your way to recovery. What is the Normal Healing Time After  Tooth Extraction Near You ? After the extraction of the damaged tooth, the socket in your gums will go through three healing stages. The first phase is known as the inflammatory stage. It is not uncommon for the gums of the patient to become inflamed. The blood will clot on the socket, and tissue will form on the affected site. A week after, new membranes will replace the clot. The proliferative phase will follow wherein the wound will start to close and heal. The last part of the healing process is known as the ma...
Read more