April is Oral Cancer Awareness Month! 

This is one of the most important reasons to visit the Dentist.  Do yourself a favor and maintain your health and beauty by being screened for the early warning signs of oral cancer.

More then 34,000 Americans will be diagnosed with oral cancer this year.  It will cause over 8,000 deaths, killing roughly 1 person per hour, 24 hours per day.  This is a number that has not significantly improved in decades.  In fact, recent statistics published by the American Cancer Society indicate that, while the incidence and death rates for cancers overall have decreased, both the incidence and cancer have increased.  Early detection and diagnosis are essential in successful treatment of the disease.  Oral cancer is 90% curable when found in its early stages.

Your dentist is your front line of defense in early detection of this disease but it’s estimated that only 50% of the US population visit the dentist every year.   Unfortunately, only about 15% of those who do visit the dentist regularly report having had an oral cancer screening.

An oral cancer screening is non-invasive, there’s no discomfort or pain, and is very inexpensive.

While most cases of oral cancer are associated with smoking and alcohol, 1/4 of all cases affect people with no risk behaviors.  There is growing evidence that HPV (human papillomavirus), a sexually transmitted virus that has long been associated with cervical cancer, is found in nearly 10% of all oral cancer cases in both men and women.

So, help to maintain your health and beauty and see your dentist for an oral cancer screening!