Educate Yourself This Oral Cancer Awareness Month

Oral cancer is a serious disease that’s estimated to affect over 54,000 adults in 2023 and about a half a million people worldwide. While there are several risk factors that can impact your odds of being diagnosed with oral cancer, anybody can get it, which is why routine screenings and knowing what signs to look out for is crucial. This April is Oral Cancer Awareness Month, making it the perfect time to educate yourself about the condition and how to catch it early.  

Oral Cancer Symptoms

The term oral cancer actually refers to several different types of cancer that can develop in the head and neck area. These can include:

• Lymphoma
• Adenoid cystic carcinoma
• Mucoepidermoid carcinoma
• Sarcomas
• Squamous cell carcinoma

Because there are so many different types of cancer that can develop in and around your mouth, there are a variety of symptoms associated with oral cancer. Here are some of the most common signs that dentists recommend you look out for:

• Sores on your lip or inside your mouth that don’t heal within two weeks time.
• White or reddish rough patches on the inside of the mouth that don’t go away.
• Loose or missing teeth that aren’t related to any other underlying oral health problems.
• Growths or lumps within the mouth.
• Pain in and around the ear.
• General oral pain.
• Difficulty swallowing food.

Risk Factors of Oral Cancer

Oral cancer can impact any person regardless of their habits, sex, and health, but there are certain factors that could put you at a higher risk of developing the disease, including:

• Smoking or chewing tobacco, including vaping.
• Drinking moderate to high amounts of alcohol.
• HPV or the human papillomavirus.

While these aren’t directly correlated to getting diagnosed with a head or neck cancer, by taking preventive measures like cutting back on alcohol consumption, getting your HPV vaccine, and quitting smoking, you can lower your chances of oral cancer.

Treatment Success & Early Detection

At each of your routine checkups and cleanings with your dentist, which the American Dental Association recommends doing every six months, you receive an oral cancer screening. These only take a moment but can be the difference between getting an early and late diagnosis, which could impact your treatment success.

They’ll thoroughly conduct a physical and visual examination of your neck, tongue, lips, gums, and oral tissues in search of any signs of the disease. If they spot anything concerning, they can refer you for a biopsy to either confirm or rule out oral cancer, allowing you to seek early treatment with a higher success rate or giving you peace of mind.

Knowing the basics about oral cancer can help you be more aware of lifestyle risks you may be participating in as well as guide you towards taking the proper precautionary measures to protect your health.

About the Author

Dr. Justin Braga has over 15 years of experience in the dental field and is a periodontist, which means he specializes in treating the supportive bone and tissue within the mouth. He completed an additional post-graduate residency and is board-certified in periodontics, meaning he is an expert at what he does! At each of his periodontal maintenance cleanings, he offers oral cancer screenings to ensure his patients aren’t affected by this disease. For questions or to schedule an appointment, visit Huntington Beach Periodontics & Dental Implants’ website or call 714-587-9094.