Dentists around the U.S. are honoring Oral Cancer Awareness Month in order to remind their patients of the dangers of oral cancer and the importance of screening for it.
In 2012 alone, nearly 37,000 Americans will be diagnosed with oral and pharyngeal cancer. Nearly 8,000 of these that suffer from this will die as a result of this cancer.
Risk factors for getting this type of cancer include the use of tobacco products, excessive alcohol drinking and the HPV infection. An issue that arises in oral cancers is that they are discovered too late, making it much more difficult to treat. This can easily be prevented by having oral screenings done regularly at you dentist’s office.
If you begin to experience side effects such as a sore in the mouth that will not heal and bleeds easily, difficulty swallowing or chewing, and numbness of the tongue, you may want to consult your dentist.If you or a loved one has been looking for a dentist in the Austin area, visit the Austin dental experts of BridgeVeiw Dental by calling 512-347-8299.