Not only do regular dental exams help keep your teeth and gums healthy, they can help detect oral cancer. It's recommended that people get a dental exam from a general dentist every six months. Your dentist will feel for lumps or irregular tissue changes in your neck, head, cheeks, and oral cavity and thoroughly examine the soft tissues in your mouth, specifically looking for any sores or discolored tissues.
Each year in the United States, more than 30,000 new cases of oral cancer are diagnosed, and more than 8,000 people die of the disease with a five-year survival rate of only about 50 percent. As with many cancers, the earlier it is detected and treated, the better the outcome.
Possible warning signs of oral cancer may include the following: Bleeding sores - Sores that do not heal - Lumps or thick, hard spots - Soreness or feeling that something is caught in the throat - Difficulty chewing or swallowing - Ear pain - Difficulty moving the jaw or tongue - Hoarseness - Numbness of the tongue - Changes in the way teeth fit together
Some of our dental team will be taking part in the Oral Cancer Awareness Walk on 6/10/12. If you wish to support them, you can donate @ donate.oralcancer.org. Click on Donate Now and enter Team JEM-Osmanski.
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