Oral Cancer
Oral cancer can develop in any area of the mouth, and most cases begin in the tongue or in the floor of the mouth. Tobacco users are most at risk of developing oral cancer. Three out of four oral cancers are attributed to the use of smoked and smokeless tobacco.
"Tobacco users should seriously consider the impact," said Maureen Howes, Manager, Hygiene Services, Aspen Dental Management, Inc. "Smoking cigarettes, cigars or pipes, using chewing tobacco and dipping snuff have all been proven to have a strong link to oral cancer."
Although tobacco users account for most cases of oral cancer, non-smokers cannot rest easy. Nearly 25 percent of new oral cancer cases occur in individuals with no known risk factors. Many of these cases occur in young women, likely related to the HPV virus.
Symptoms of oral cancer include:
• A mouth sore that fails to heal or that bleeds easily.
• A white or red patch in the mouth that will not go away.
• A lump, thickening or soreness in the mouth, throat or tongue.
• A lump in your neck.
• Difficulty chewing or swallowing food.
• Bleeding in your mouth.
• Loose teeth.
• Difficulty wearing dentures.
• An earache.
Oral cancer screenings are part of regular dental exams. All 100-plus Aspen Dental offices in ten states also offer a state-of-the-art oral cancer screening with Vizilite Plus, a quick and painless light technology that helps detect oral cancer at its earliest stages. If left untreated, oral cancer can spread to the neck, lungs or other parts of the body. When found early, oral cancers have an 80 to 90 percent cure rate.
"Most early signs of oral cancer are painless and difficult to detect without a thorough exam," Howes said. "Your regular checkup is a good time for your dentist to check your entire mouth for signs of cancer. Routine thorough examination can detect the early stages of oral cancer or conditions that may lead to oral cancer."
For more information visit the company's redesigned website at www.aspendent.com. (PRWeb) April 2007
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