Each April, dentists across the country focus on Oral Cancer Awareness. Not exactly the most exciting thing to celebrate, but one that is a necessity as approximately 50,000 new cases of Oral Cancer are diagnosed each year according to the Oral Cancer Foundation.
While symptoms vary from person to person, the most common include:
- Sores or lumps in your mouth
- Areas of red or white lesions in your mouth or lips
- The feeling of a lump in your throat
- Numbness pain or tenderness anywhere in your mouth
- Pain in your ear without loss of hearing
- Trouble moving your jaw or tongue
- Lingering sore throat
So who is at risk of developing oral cancer? Like most cancers, oral cancers can occur in anyone. However, certain lifestyle factors increase the risk including tobacco and alcohol use, certain diet deficiencies and excessive exposure of lips to the sun.
The good news is oral cancer has an 80 to 90% survival rate when found and treated in the earliest stages. This high survival rate is why education about the disease and its symptoms is so important.
Stay on top of your dental health by calling Jackson Dental at 573-243-5200 to set up a preventative dentistry schedule.