In 2011 more than 30,000 Americans
will be diagnosed with oral cancer and approximately 8,000 will die of the
disease. According to the National Cancer Institute (NCI) oral
cancer, which is more common than leukemia, Hodgkin’s disease, and cancers of
the brain, liver, bone, thyroid gland, stomach, ovaries, and cervix, is a major
cause of death and disfigurement in the United States.
According to the Centers for Disease
Control and Prevention (CDC) located here in Atlanta, GA., approximately 75% of
all oral cavity and pharyngeal cancers—mouth, tongue, lips, throat, nose,
and larynx— can be attributed to the use of tobacco related
products. Those who choose to use cigarettes, cigars, pipes, chewing
tobacco, or snuff, place themselves at a much higher risk of developing
oral cancer and other diseases, such as heart disease, emphysema and chronic
bronchitis.
With the level of prevalence
described above, the oral cancer screening routinely performed during
one's hygiene and dental examination is one of the most critical preventative components
of your bi-annual visits to the dentist.
If you find anything out of the
ordinary during a self-examination—particularly anything that does not heal or
go away in two weeks, or that has recently changed— make sure you discuss it
with your dentist or physician. For those who have found themselves
without work or insurance, we offer free cancer screening, so please feel free
to contact us
if you have any questions or concerns.
We would like to give back to the Atlanta community as we approach the
holiday season.
Source: National Institute of Dental and
Craniofacial Research’s (NIDCR) National Oral Health Information Clearinghouse
in partnership with the National Cancer Institute, the National Institute of
Nursing Research, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and the
Friends of the NIDCR.
Novy Scheinfeld, DDS, PC
290 Carpenter Drive, 200A
Atlanta (Sandy Springs) GA 30328
404-256-3620
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