Each year more than
30,000 Americans are 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. April is Oral
Cancer Awareness Month and we offer free cancer screening, so please feel free
to contact us if you have any questions or concerns.
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
5471 Bells Ferry Road
Suite 200
Acworth, GA 30102
770-928-7281
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