{"id":185,"date":"2019-04-11T18:13:45","date_gmt":"2019-04-11T18:13:45","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.tomballdentist.com\/blog\/?p=185"},"modified":"2019-05-06T18:20:40","modified_gmt":"2019-05-06T18:20:40","slug":"the-oral-cancer-screenings-done-at-your-dental-checkups-can-save-your-life","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.tomballdentist.com\/blog\/2019\/04\/11\/the-oral-cancer-screenings-done-at-your-dental-checkups-can-save-your-life\/","title":{"rendered":"The Oral Cancer Screenings Done At Your Dental Checkups Can Save Your Life"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\"><figure class=\"alignright\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"307\" height=\"205\" src=\"https:\/\/www.tomballdentist.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/05\/Woman-getting-a-dental-exam-.jpg\" alt=\"Woman getting a dental exam\" class=\"wp-image-186\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.tomballdentist.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/05\/Woman-getting-a-dental-exam-.jpg 307w, https:\/\/www.tomballdentist.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/05\/Woman-getting-a-dental-exam--300x200.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 307px) 100vw, 307px\" \/><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p>There\u2019s an old saying that what you don\u2019t know can\u2019t hurt\nyou but, unfortunately, that\u2019s not always the case. Many people make sure to\nget screenings for colon, breast, or prostate cancer, but don\u2019t know how\nimportant oral cancer screenings are. This disease has been on the rise in\nrecent years and is increasingly being found in people with no history of\nsmoking. As with all cancers, early diagnosis is the best way to combat it.\nThankfully, these screenings are easy and convenient because they\u2019re\nautomatically included with your dental checkups. April is Oral Cancer\nAwareness Month, so it\u2019s a great time to learn more in this blog and find out what\na screening is like!<\/p>\n\n\n\n<!--more-->\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Oral Cancer Statistics<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\"><li>Over a quarter of newly diagnosed cases occur in\npeople younger than 55. <\/li><li>Approximately 53,000 Americans are newly\ndiagnosed with oral cancer each year (or 132 people each day). <\/li><li>1 person will die from it every hour. <\/li><li>Oral cancer is being found in young, healthy\npeople who don\u2019t use tobacco. Researchers believe it\u2019s due to the HPV virus.<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>However, there is a positive statistic: With early\ndetection, the survival rate for oral cancer is 85-90%!<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">How Often Should You Be Screened? <\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>The recommendation for professional screenings is twice per\nyear, and it\u2019s also a good idea to watch for any of the following symptoms\nbetween visits:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\"><li>A lump or bump that\u2019s developed recently. <\/li><li>A chronic feeling that something is stuck in\nyour throat. <\/li><li>Trouble chewing or swallowing. <\/li><li>A persistent sore throat.<\/li><li>Any sores or lesions that haven\u2019t healed within\ntwo weeks.<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>However, since there are many benign conditions that look\nsimilar, such as canker sores, don\u2019t worry if you find something. Just schedule\nan appointment to have the area looked at so you can proceed from there. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">What Is a Screening Like?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Oral cancer screenings are very straightforward and non-invasive.\nBoth a dentist and hygienist will start by visually examining your lips,\ncheeks, throat, palate, and under your tongue. They\u2019ll also gently palpate your\nneck and under your jaw to see if there are any lumps, bumps, or tender areas. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>There\u2019s also technology like the Oral|D light that\u2019s a\nwonderful addition to these screenings. This tool uses a special, fluorescent blue\nlight to help practitioners see suspicious areas that may not be visible to the\nnaked eye. This allows them to detect any potential issues as soon as possible.\n<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Although the statistics for oral cancer are concerning, it\u2019s\nhighly treatable when it\u2019s found early. And, with regular <a href=\"https:\/\/www.tomballdentist.com\/preventive-dentistry.html\">dental checkups<\/a>,\nearly detection is easy and convenient! <\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">About the Author<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.tomballdentist.com\/about-us.html\">Dr.\nJames D. Geer<\/a> is a family dentist with 40 years of experience and a graduate\nof the University of Texas at Houston. He\u2019s committed to his patients\u2019 oral health\nand overall well-being, so he and his staff perform oral cancer screenings at every\ncheckup. If you have any questions or want to schedule an appointment, you can\ncontact him via his <a href=\"https:\/\/www.tomballdentist.com\/contact-us.html\">website.<\/a>\n<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>There\u2019s an old saying that what you don\u2019t know can\u2019t hurt you but, unfortunately, that\u2019s not always the case. Many people make sure to get screenings for colon, breast, or prostate cancer, but don\u2019t know how important oral cancer screenings are. This disease has been on the rise in recent years and is increasingly being [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-185","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-uncategorized"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v22.6 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/wordpress\/plugins\/seo\/ -->\n<title>The Oral Cancer Screenings Done At Your Dental Checkups Can Save Your Life<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Did you know that you get oral cancer screenings at your dental checkups? 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