At Vitangeli Dental in Englewood Ohio we urge people to come in twice a year for a dental examination and cleaning. If you skip those checkups because you don’t believe you have any cavities, perhaps getting an oral cancer screening is a more persuasive reason to see us regularly.
In the last few decades, lung and breast cancer have attracted a lot of public attention. There is relatively less awareness of oral cancer even though it claims almost 10,000 lives every year in the United States. If you smoke or have tested positive for HPV, you have an increased risk for developing oral cancer.
At Vitangeli Dental, we work to elevate awareness of oral cancer and the importance of early diagnosis. Courtesy of the CDC, Oral Cancer Foundation, and Johns Hopkins Medicine, here are 5 critical things to know about oral (mouth) and oropharyngeal (back of mouth and throat) cancers.
1. About 80% of individuals with oral cancer use some variety of tobacco (cigarettes, chewing tobacco, pipes).
2. 40% of people who receive late-stage diagnosis of oral cancer die within five years. The survival rate for early stage diagnosis is 90%.
3. In many cases, it is almost impossible for the individual to detect oral and oropharyngeal cancers because they can produce inconspicuous symptoms or no symptoms at all. Any abnormality in the mouth or throat, even if small and painless, should be checked out by a dentist or doctor.
4. HPV (the most common sexually transmitted disease in the US) is the most common cause of oropharyngeal cancer. Of the copious strains of HPV, HPV16 is the one most repeatedly linked to oropharyngeal cancer.
5. Black males have a higher risk of dying from oral cancer than whites.
At Vitangeli Dental in Englewood Ohio, services include general and cosmetic dentistry. Schedule an appointment today.
Contact Vitangeli Dental:
937-836-3565
Location (Tap to open in Google Maps):
320 Union Blvd
Englewood, Ohio
45322
