If you are a patient at our office your last oral cancer screening was done at your last dental hygiene appointment and during your comprehensive examination. Oral cancer is a serious disease and the number of oral cancer cases is rising. Oral and pharyngeal cancers are diagnosed in almost 40,000 people in the US each year and about 8,000 die of the disease annually. Oral cancer survival rates are good if the disease is discovered early but the average 5 year survival rate is only 61% because most cancers are advanced when discovered.

Dentists play an important role in the early detection of oral cancers. Who else but your dentist and hygienist spend that much time looking in your mouth? Visiting the dentist every six months for a cleaning means we usually see patients much more often than their primary care physicians.

Signs of oral cancer that we look for include: red or white patches, sores that bleed easily or don’t heal, lumps or hard spots or crusty, patchy areas. If you have experienced any change in your bite, chewing or swallowing please let your dentist know immediately. Very early diagnosis can be made using new technology that can spot lesions before they are visible to your dentists magnified eyes.

The risks of oral cancers have been rising, especially among young people. Oral cancers used to be found primarily in older men who smoked and drank alcohol frequently. Today cases are being diagnosed in people in their 20’s! Researchers believe that the Human Papilloma Virus (HPV) may be to blame for the increase in these cases. Because of the typical location in the mouth of HPV caused cancers they can be more difficult to find.

Find out more about oral cancer and schedule your screening appointment by contacting Columbus cosmetic dentist Dr. Mark Levy at 614-476-6696 today.