How Your Dentist Can Save Your Life

The dentist is your best source for catching the subtle indicators of oral cancer, and you should see a specialist if your dental hygienists can rule out the other likely root causes of your symptoms.

Love them or fear them, the dentist is likely the doctor that most people see the most in the course of their lifetime — which is a good thing, because a dentist can do more than just prevent tooth decay and do restoration work on damaged teeth. Your dentist is also a great source to catch undetected oral cancer that can be terminal when it's not caught in time. Due to the fact that cancer found in the mouth can show almost no symptoms to the patient until the cancer has spread to a final and terminal stage, it's a good thing someone is looking out for you.

The most common types of oral cancer include cancer found on the lips, the gums, and the floor or roof of the mouth. These areas are not commonly checked in a routine physical checkup and with your regular practitioner, so it falls on the dentist and you to spot the small indicators that can point to a problem, such as white or red patches on the inside of your mouth. These patches can be cancer cells and they need to be checked by a specialist.

Other indicators of possible oral cancer that only a dental expert may catch include loose teeth, bleeding in your mouth, and painful swallowing. Naturally, these problems can also be indicators of other oral health issues including TMJ or gum disease so don't assume that every loose tooth or unexpected bleeding is a sign of cancer. Let your dental office know about your symptoms and your concerns and have a checkup to rule out other medical conditions that can cause these problems first.

There are some risk factors for developing oral cancer that can make you a greater candidate than others such as smoking, chewing tobacco, and drinking alcohol. In fact statistically, if you smoke or chew tobacco and drink alcohol, your odds are three in four that you will develop oral cancer.

You can also have an increased risk of lip cancer from sun exposure. You probably slather on the sun screen when you go outside, but you may not have even realized you were reducing your risk for lip cancer by wearing Chap Stick as well.

If you have a family history of oral cancer or you have any of the risk factors for contracting it, you should make your dentist aware of it so they can schedule an oral screening and be aware of it when you have routine work or checkups done.

Catching oral cancer early gives you the greatest chance at survival, so if you see white spots or red areas inside your mouth in the area around your check, teeth or gums, and the other common causes for your dental symptoms such as TMJ or gum disease have been ruled out, don't ignore the symptoms. See a specialist to rule out oral cancer as soon as possible.

Article Tags: Oral Cancer

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