April is Oral Cancer Awareness Month. As part of your routine dental exam, your dentist will conduct an oral cancer screening exam. During your visit, your dentist can talk with you about your health history and will check for any signs of mouth and/or throat cancer such as lumps or irregular gum tissue.
Anyone can get oral cancer but factors that can increase your risk include:
– smoking/chewing tobacco
– heavy alcohol use
– excessive sun exposure to your lips
– HPV
Regular visits to your dentist can improve the chances that any suspicious changes to your oral health will be caught early, at a time when cancer can be treated more easily.
– from Prycilla O. (Dental Assistant)