The Oral Cancer Foundation has designated April as Oral Cancer Awareness Month. Therefore, Waco dentist Dr. Wendy Winarick and her staff at Dental Station Family Dentistry would like to take this opportunity to discuss oral cancer. We believe that knowledge is power; if you know the facts about oral cancer then you have the power to stop this sometimes deadly disease in its tracks. Please read on to learn more about this cancer, the symptoms, and the importance of oral cancer screening in Waco, TX.
Oral Cancer by the Numbers
Consider the following sobering statistics about oral cancer:
- The Oral Cancer Foundation estimates that close to 49,000 people will be diagnosed with either oral or pharyngeal (throat) cancer this year
- One person in the United States dies every hour of every day because of oral cancer
- Oral cancer’s mortality rate has not changed much in more than 30 years
- People with HPV (human papillomavirus) are the fastest growing oral cancer population
- The risk for oral cancer increases fifty times with oral HPV
Signs and Symptoms of Oral Cancer
No doubt, those are some frightening facts and figures. However, now let’s take a look at the warning signs for oral cancer, because caught early this is a highly treatable and curable disease. And while you can count on Dr. Winarick and her team to conduct a thorough screening for oral cancer at each one of your dental checkups, it’s also important for you to know the signs, too, so you can be on the lookout for them in between appointments.
The most common signs and symptoms of oral cancer are:
- A sore in your mouth or on your lips that has not healed in over two weeks
- A newly formed lump that is on top of or within any soft tissue in your mouth
- A red or white patch that can be either raised or smooth
- A sore throat that doesn’t go away or feeling as if something is caught in your throat
- A feeling of numbness anywhere in your mouth
- Difficulty biting, swallowing or talking
- A change in your voice, hoarseness especially
- Ear pain without infection
- A change in the way your upper and lower teeth fit together or in the way your dentures fit
Call Our Office Today for Oral Cancer Screening
If you notice any of these signs or have any symptoms, then please call our office in Waco immediately. Do not wait for your next dental checkup to have a definitive examination with OralID™, a new technology that uses a special light to identify oral cancer, pre-cancer and other abnormalities at an early stage. With an oral cancer screening, Dr. Winarick and her team at Dental Station can guard both your oral and general health.