Oral Cancer kills one American every hour of every day, and yet many dentists and other oral health care professionals are still not routinely offering patients the simple and inexpensive screening tests which could detect mouth cancers. When caught early, treatment is easier and the survival rate is 90 per cent!

April is Oral Cancer Awareness Month and it’s my hope that YOU will be pro-active and treat your mouth with the same care as you do the rest of your body when it comes to getting check ups– as prevention is key. Since throat cancer is often painless, it goes undetected. A prolonged sore throat can signal a cancer worry, which is increasingly being attributed to the HPV virus.

While most people believe the leading cause of throat cancer is excessive drinking, smoking marijuana and tobacco use, the fastest growing population of those at risk are young, healthy, non-smoking individuals raging in ages as young as teenagers and as old as baby boomers, who transmit the HPV virus through oral sex.

HPV–(human papillomavirus) is now the leading cause of oral cancer and it’s estimated that this type of oral cancer called oropharyngeal cancer will become the nation’s main HPV-related cancer within the decade– surpassing cervical cancer!

But– for just around a mere hundred dollars and a simple and painless swabbing of your mouth, your dentist or periodontist can analyze your saliva to see if you have the HPV or if you are genetically prone to periodontal disease.

Bleeding gums and other consequences of poor oral hygiene such as blisters or lesions are portals for HPV transmissions. Your oral health care professional is often the first to see the disease, especially in men. It’s assumed that women generally receive early diagnostic information on their risks associated with HPV– due to annual pap smears. In actuality– your dentist, hygienist, periodontist or oral surgeon may very well be the first expert to spot suspicious abnormalities alerting us to the potential threat of disease.

It’s still up to you to take personal responsibility for your health. Do not wait for your dentist to offer, be in the know as to what’s available in prevention. You can begin by reading here about the six step screening for oral cancer–and I encourage you to make it a priority to keep your commitments for regular cleanings and dental exams. The appointment you cancel ( because we all know for most of you– going to the dentist is not your favorite thing to do), could just be that one hour in your day which saves your life!

In great health,
Dr. Sanda

Make your oral health a top priority. Contact Dr. Sanda Moldovan to schedule a consultation.