The Importance Of Getting An Oral Cancer Examination

Why You Would Need Oral Cancer Examinations

There’s never a good time in someone’s life for them to receive the news that they have cancer of any kind. According to American Cancer Society more than 30,000 cases of oral cancer diagnosed each year and over 7,000 of those cases result in the patient’s death. With such a high number of oral cancer cases, do you really want to take the risk? How do you know if you should get checked out? Today, our dentist in OKC will provide you with some information to help you make that determination.

First, our dentist in OKC would like to inform everyone that if you’ve noticed any of the following symptoms that have lasted longer than 2 weeks, you should have them looked at:

Red patches anywhere in the mouth or on the tongue

White or pink patches which fail to heal

Sores that bleed easily

Lesions or hardened white or gray areas (Leukoplakia) the appears anywhere in the mouth

Lumps in the throat or mouth

Our dentist in OKC wants you to be aware that while the above listed items may not always be cancerous, there’s a good chance that they are or they can certainly lead to cancer and should be taken seriously. It is reported that about 75% of oral cancers are linked to behaviors such as smoking, other forms of tobacco use, and alcohol consumption. It’s highly important to cease use of toxic entities if you notice that you have any sores in the mouth that aren’t healing.

Seeing a dentist, such as our dentist in OKC is the first step in the cancer screening process. As oral cancer can spread rapidly and happen to anyone, it is recommended to have a comprehensive oral cancer screening at least once each year. Once a determination is made about your screening, a more extensive plan and treatment options may be discussed.

To receive your screening and rule out the possibility that you may have oral cancer, please feel free to make an appointment with our dentist in OKC. Contact us at 405-751-5515 or click here.