At Dr. Hylan’s Cleveland dental office, during a dental exam, the doctor will check your neck and oral tissues for lumps, red or white patches or recurring sore areas.
Smoking, especially combined with heavy alcohol consumption (30 drinks a week or more), is the primary risk factor for oral cancer.
In fact, this combination is estimated to be the most likely trigger in about 75 percent of oral cancers diagnosed in this country. Other lifestyle and environmental factors also may increase your risk of developing oral cancer.
Oral cancer kills 8000 people per year in the United States. The death rate from oral cancer is higher than for cervical cancer or Hodgkin’s lymphoma, and unfortunately is often overlooked.
Physicians rarely look carefully in the mouth because they feel that’s the dentist’s territory. Many dentists feel that cancer is an issue for physicians. Here at Hylan Dental Care, we feel that screening for this deadly disease is important, and we do it at your checkups.
If you would like a checkup and an oral cancer exam, please give us a call, or you can request an appointment online by clicking here.
