If you don’t know much about oral cancer, it’s because you probably don’t hear about it as often as some other health problems. But over 40,000 people are diagnosed each year, and more than 9,000 of those people die of this cancer. This is why you should find out as soon as possible if you have oral cancer or if you have a high risk of developing it. You can do this by having an oral cancer screening completed during your next dental checkup. Here’s why it’s so important to do so.

Some of the symptoms of oral cancer include one or more sores, lumps or red or white patches that don’t heal. Difficulty swallowing, chewing or moving your jaw are also common symptoms, among others. But as with most conditions, you can’t diagnose yourself. You need a trained dentist to determine if your symptoms are due to oral cancer or another health issue.

More men get oral cancer than women. In addition, drinking, smoking or having human papillomavirus (HPV) all increase your risk of getting this type of cancer. However, every year, thousands of women and people who don’t have the other risk factors still get oral cancer. This is why you should still get screened for it even if you’re not at high risk of getting it.

As with all types of cancer, the sooner you detect and treat it, the better. You have a higher chance of surviving oral cancer if you catch it in the early stages. This is why it’s good to ask your dentist to check your mouth for oral cancer every year.

Oral cancer screenings can take as little as five minutes. You can get this done during any checkup or cleaning, or right before you get any dental work done. So if you’ve been putting off your screening because you think you don’t have time for it, now you know you do.

Now that you know the importance of oral cancer screenings, it’s time to schedule yours. Call Patriot Family Dental today at 931.645.2469.

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