Oral Cancer: Am I at risk?

There are approximately 50,000 cases of oral cancer diagnosed every single year in the United States and over 10,000 deaths. That is almost 30 deaths per day! This disease can be devastating if it goes undiagnosed and with these statistics, it is natural to wonder, am I at risk for developing oral cancer? If so, what can I do about it and how can my dentist help me detect this disease early on?

What is Oral Cancer?

Oral cancer is a disease that occurs when cancer cells grow and replace the normal tissue cells of your mouth. This can happen for many reasons such as continuous injury, like cheek biting, bad habits that damage the tissues like chewing tobacco or smoking, too much sun exposure, and can even be family inherited. These cancer cells may lead to the formation of a tumor in any surface of your mouth including your tongue, cheeks, gums, roof of your mouth and lips. It is important to mention that not all tumors are large and painful masses or even visible to the naked eye. 

Am I at Risk For Oral Cancer?

Oral cancer may develop for different reasons, however, you may be at an increased risk of developing this disease if any of the following risk factors apply to you:

• Smoking or chewing tobacco: Tobacco is at the top of the list for a reason. No tobacco product is safe, in fact, smokeless tobacco, or dip, contains over 30 chemicals that are known carcinogens or substances that are capable of causing cancer. Smokeless tobacco users have an 80% higher risk of oral cancer.
• Alcohol consumption: In a study that was conducted 7 out 10 of patients with oral cancer were heavy drinkers.
• A combination of smoking and drinking alcohol only makes things worse. According to cancer.org, heavy drinkers who also smoke, may be as much as 100 times higher risk for developing oral cancer.  
• Age: There is an increased risk for oral cancer for patients over the age of 40 years old. It is encouraged that anyone over this age should see a dentist and request an oral cancer screening.
• Gender: Oral cancer affects men twice as likely as women (2:1).
• Prolonged sun exposure: Some of the most common oral cancers occur on the lips due to unprotected and prolonged UV light exposure and damage to the skin cells. 

Some of these risk factors can be completely eliminated and others not so much. However by limiting the number of risk factors that apply to you, you greatly reduce the risk for oral cancer and other types of cancer. Tobacco and alcohol abuse are very serious addictions that are difficult to quit. Please contact us if you need more information or help with reducing your risk!

What are the symptoms?

Although it may be difficult for a patient to self diagnose oral cancer, early signs of oral cancer can include a lump or sore in your mouth that won’t go away, changes in speech, a feeling of fullness or numbness in your throat, tongue or mouth, and difficulty chewing or swallowing.

Do Oral Cancer Screenings Hurt? 

This is a common misconception. Oral Cancer Screenings should not hurt. An oral cancer screening is a thorough and in depth examination performed by a trained dentist which includes a visual exam of your face, neck, lips, tongue, cheeks, and throat. The dentist may also feel with their gloved hand, for any lumps along your neck and along the floor of your mouth. The dentist may also use special tools such as shining a fluorescent light that helps visualize oral cancer before it is even visible to the naked eye. For this reason seeing a dentist who is trained and has all the right tools can help you detect this disease in time.

Oral cancer is a preventable disease if caught early on. If you are concerned regarding your risk for oral cancer you can try to reduce the number of risk factors that apply to you such as seeking help to quit smoking or chewing tobacco. Remember that like any other cancer, oral cancer can be cured if detected early enough and it is important to visit your dentist as soon as you have a suspicion or concerns regarding any lesion in your mouth.