Mouth Screening For Early Cancer Detection: Is It Necessary?

If you are planning on getting in touch with a dentist for yet another routine dental checkup, it would be a wise idea to ask about screening your oral area for cancer. According to official statistical data, nearly 50,000 people in the US will be diagnosed with some form of cancer in 2017.

And, of course, it is 100% apparent that such regular dental checkups with oral cancer screening can be extremely beneficial when it comes to detecting oral cancer early on. According to American Dentist, some individuals have a much higher risk of suffering from oral cancer and cancer of the throat, tonsils and even the back of the tongue.

Gender

Men are two times more susceptible to forms of oral cancer, and the American Cancer Society concluded that this is mainly because of the fact that tobacco and alcohol use is significantly higher in men.

Age

The official statistical data once again demonstrates that the vast majority of people diagnosed with some form of oral cancer are generally over 55 years old.

Tobacco

Any kind of tobacco products will increase your risks of developing oral cancer. Smoking cigarettes, pipes, cigars and pipes may easily result in lung cancer and oral cancer is not all that far behind. People who prefer to smoke pipes are far more susceptible to lip cancer, while individuals who chew tobacco may be diagnosed with yet another extreme form of cancer – cancer of the cheeks.

Alcohol

It is a known fact that seven out of ten patients that were diagnosed with oral cancer were also heavy drinkers. Men who consume more than two drinks every day and women drinking at least once every day are already deemed as heavy drinkers. Should you be drinking and smoking, your chances of being diagnosed with some form of cancer will rise dramatically.

Sunlight

If you work all day under the sun, there is a risk of getting lip cancer, so you need to remember to use sunscreen.

Diet

If you are not eating properly, you will be more susceptible to oral cancer. If you are not ingesting enough vegetables and fruits, you are  more susceptible to oral cancer and cancer in general.

One way or the other, though, in order to keep things under complete control all the time, it is very important to make sure you go for  regular dental checkups. After all, only a qualified, experienced dental expert will have what it takes to provide you with all the latest information and all the updates on the matter.

If you are interested in really getting the most from your dental health checkup and you want a real industry expert to do all the work, we simply cannot help but recommend that you visiting your dentist to make sure everything is fine with your mouth as well as your teeth.