In 2015
more than 43,250 Americans will be diagnosed with oral cancer and approximately
8,000 to 10,000 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.
Other sources:
http://www.oralcancerfoundation.org/facts/
Novy
Scheinfeld, DDS, PC
290 Carpenter
Drive, 200A
Atlanta (Sandy
Springs) GA 30328
404-256-3620
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