Oral cancer screenings save lives. This truth is underscored annually during the month of April, which is Oral Cancer Awareness Month. By drawing attention to oral cancer, its symptoms, and its risk factors, more people are likely to visit their physician or dentist when they have a concern. As the American Cancer Society often reminds us, treatment options are maximized when cancer is discovered early, when it is small and hasn’t spread.
How prevalent is oral cancer? The Oral Cancer Foundation tells us that, far from being a rare form of cancer, in the United States alone about 132 new cases are diagnosed each day, and a person dies from oral cancer every hour of every day. The World Health Organization reports that, globally, the incidence of oral cancer is extremely high (an estimated 377,713 new cases in 2020), as is the mortality rate. The only good news is that, like other cancers, when found in its earliest stages of development, oral cancer survival rates can increase significantly.
Some risks of oral cancer can be reduced by behaviors that include avoiding all tobacco use; if drinking alcohol, doing so in moderation; routinely self-checking for signs of oral cancer; and getting regular dental checkups.
The National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research says to see a dentist or doctor if you have any of these symptoms for more than two weeks:
- A sore, irritation, lump, or thick patch in your mouth, lip, or throat.
- A white or red patch in your mouth.
- Persistent sore throat, a feeling that something is caught in your throat, or hoarseness or loss of your voice.
- A lump in the neck.
- Difficulty chewing, swallowing, or speaking.
- Difficulty moving your jaw or tongue.
- Swelling of your jaw that causes dentures to fit poorly or become uncomfortable.
- Pain or bleeding in the mouth.
- Numbness in your tongue or other areas of your mouth.
- Ear pain.
Northeast Delta Dental is among the hundreds of cancer societies, dental professional associations, dental practices and dental insurance companies nationwide that celebrate Oral Cancer Awareness Month. We are proud to be part of an industry that promotes oral and overall health and designs programs and products with a preventive focus, encouraging people to visit their dentist twice a year. Oral cancer screenings are brief and painless and are often performed during routine dental exams. If you have Northeast Delta Dental as your dental insurance provider I encourage you to find out if you have access to a Health through Oral Wellness® (HOW®) risk assessment. To learn more about the preventive benefits available through this program, visit www.healththroughoralwellness.com.
Please be vigilant, see your dentist regularly and contact your dentist between visits if you detect anything suspicious that does not disappear on its own. Keep these symptoms in mind and share them with others, because detecting oral cancer early can save lives.