Your Dentists and Oral Cancer

Your dentist has recent good news about progress against cancer. It is now easier than ever to detect oral cancer early, when the opportunity for a cure is great. Currently only half of all patients diagnosed with oral cancer survive more than five years.

Your dentist has the skills and tools to ensure that early signs of oral cancer and pre-cancerous conditions are identified. You and your dentist can fight and win the battle against oral cancer. Know the early signs and see your dentist regularly.

Oral cancer is a disease with known high-risk factors and a symptomatic phase with identifiable clinical features. Countermeasures include an available and efficient screening modality and effective nondeforming treatment for the early lesion; however, most oral cancer lesions are not diagnosed until they are in an advanced stage. Oral cancer is self-induced and largely a preventable disease. Those who are most likely to be at risk are tobacco users and alcohol abusers.

Some dentists incorrectly identified tobacco or alcohol as the least important risk factor, when in fact they are the two most important,” Dr LeHew said. Two-thirds of the dentists had had oral cancer continuing education; however, 40 percent had trained more than two years prior to the survey. And training in risk counseling was rare, Dr LeHew said. “There is a clear need for additional training and for greater vigilance.”

What Causes Oral Cancer?

Scientists aren’t sure of the exact cause of oral cancer. However, the carcinogens in tobacco products, alcohol and certain foods, as well as excessive exposure to the sun have been found to increase the risk of developing oral cancer. Risk factors for oral cancer may also be genetically inherited.

Oral Cancer Symptoms

Early detection is essential in increasing the survival rate for oral cancer. Symptoms include:

* • A sore or lesion in the mouth that does not heal within two weeks.
* • A lump or thickening in the cheek.
* • A white or red patch on the gums, tongue, tonsil, or lining of the mouth.
* • A sore throat or a feeling that something is caught in the throat.
* • Difficulty chewing or swallowing.
* • Difficulty moving the jaw or tongue.
* • Numbness of the tongue or other area of the mouth.
* • Swelling of the jaw that causes dentures to fit poorly or become uncomfortable.

These symptoms may be caused by other, less serious problems, but they also indicate the possible presence of oral cancer. Only a professional dentist will be able to tell you definitively. Some think that a visit to their medical doctor is the appropriate course of action.

But remember that dentists are trained in this simple, quick screening, which involves the examination of the oral cavity as a whole and not just your teeth. Besides a visual examination of all the tissues in your mouth, your doctor will feel the floor of your mouth and portions of the back of your throat with his fingers, in the search for abnormalities.

Regular Dentist Visits

Regular dental check-ups, including an examination of the entire mouth, are essential in the early detection of cancerous and pre-cancerous conditions. You may have a very small, but dangerous, oral spot or sore and not be aware of it.

Your dentist will carefully examine all areas of your mouth. In about 10% of patients, the dentist may notice a flat, painless, white or red spot or a small sore. Although most of these are harmless, some are not. Harmful oral spots or sores often look identical to those that are harmless - testing can tell them apart. If you have a sore with a likely cause, your dentist may treat it and ask you to return for re-examination.

Dentists often will notice a spot or sore that looks harmless and does not have a clear cause. To ensure that a spot or sore is not dangerous, your dentist may choose to perform a simple test, such as a brush biopsy, which usually is painless and can detect potentially dangerous cells when the disease is still at an early stage.

If your dentist notices something that looks very suspicious and dangerous, a scalpel biopsy may be recommended. This usually requires local anesthesia. Your general dentist may perform this procedure or refer you to a specialist for it.

Treatment Of Oral Cancer

If your dentist does find a suspicious lesion in your mouth, he / she might remove it, but will most likely send you to a specialist for a removal and biopsy, which is a painless procedure.

If oral cancer is detected early enough, it could possibly be treated with surgery alone. Radiation combined with surgery would likely be used if the cancer is in its advanced stages.

How To Prevent Oral Cancer?

Because oral cancer is usually not diagnosed in its early stages, less than half of all oral cancer patients are cured. You can help prevent oral cancer by not smoking, using spit tobacco and drinking excessive alcohol. When tobacco use and alcohol use are combined, the risk of oral cancer increases 15 times more than non-users of tobacco and alcohol products.

Research suggests that eating plenty of fruits and vegetables may safeguard against oral cancer. Because successful treatment and rehabilitation are dependent on early detection, it is extremely important to see your dentist for an oral cancer screening and regular checkup at least every six months. Survival rates greatly increase the earlier oral cancer is discovered and treated. During your next dental visit, ask your dentist to do an oral cancer screening.

Although the number of deaths each year from oral cancer is astounding, it is highly curable if diagnosed early. Prevention is a key factor in oral cancer and a 90 second dental examination could save your life.


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