April & Oral Cancer Awareness: The Dental Connection!

With April drawing to a close, we wanted to take one final opportunity to reflect on Oral Cancer Awareness.  Nearly 40,000 people in the U.S. will be diagnosed with oral cancer this year, and more than 8,000 die every year from the disease!  Regular dental visits to our office can be the first line of defense against oral cancer, by identifying early warning signs of the disease, or by helping you with preventive care tips to lower the chances of developing it.

While there is no way to predict exactly which individuals will get oral cancer, there are some potential causes you should know about--because in some causes, you can minimize these risk factors:

• AGE. Most patients are over the age of 40.
• TOBACCO.  All tobacco products increase the risk.
• ALCOHOL.  Excessive consumption, especially in combination with tobacco use.
• INFECTIONS.  Persistent viral infections, such as HPV16.
• DIET.  Low consumption of fruits and vegetables increase the risk.

If you have any questions concerning oral cancer or are in need of an appointment, call our office at 918-455-0123!

God Bless,

DRT