It’s Oral Cancer Awareness Month
At Today’s Dental Comfort, we try to do all we can to ensure that you and your family have lasting and long-term health. One way that this can occur is with routine oral hygiene examinations and cleanings. Most patients should visit our office every six months for a routine appointment. If you have a certain dental condition, such as gum disease, we may recommend visiting more often. Aside from cleaning the teeth, we also look for problems in the mouth, such as dental decay, gum disease, and oral cancer. During April, we recognize Oral Cancer Awareness Month. We want to bring awareness to oral cancer, the importance of early detection, and risk factors that may contribute to the development of the disease.
Check Your Mouth Between Appointments
Oral cancer is a type of head and neck cancer that can be detected anywhere in the mouth, back of the throat, or oral cavity. Oral cancer can be found in areas such as the lips, tongue, under the tongue, cheeks, tonsils, gums, and oropharynx, which is the back of the throat. It is important to regularly check your lips and mouth for signs of a problem. Look for swelling, lumps, or other changes to your mouth. You can also use your tongue to feel around for any physical changes that may not be visible to the naked eye. You may notice problems such as ulcers and sores that won’t heal, red and white patches on the tongue or cheeks, and changes in color to the lips, tongue, gums, and cheeks.
Risk Factors
There are certain risk factors that increase your risk of developing oral cancer. It may be time for a lifestyle change to help prevent experiencing oral cancer:
- Smoking and tobacco use
- Sunbathing and tanning beds
- Lack of sunscreen and lip protectant use
- Unhealthy diet
Early detection is extremely important to a successful recovery. If you notice any of the changes mentioned above or anything else that seems unusual with your oral health, we encourage you to contact our office, which is located in Burton, MI, to schedule an appointment. We also encourage you to schedule an appointment if it has been some time since your last oral hygiene examination or you need a dental treatment. We hope to hear from you soon!
