Oral Cancer

Oral Health
Willow Family Dentistry

Oral Cancer Facts This year nearly 54,000 people in America will be newly diagnosed with oral cancer — that’s 147 people every day. Yet even though it causes over 9,750 deaths a year—or about one person per hour—oral cancer awareness in the U.S. remains low. Although smoking and tobacco use are obvious high risk factors, the fastest growing segment of oral cancer patients is young, healthy and non-smoking. This is due to the rise of HPV virus, a sexually transmitted disease.

Get Regular Screenings
If found early, oral cancers have an 80 to 90 percent survival rate. Certain symptoms may be a sign of oral cancer (please see list below), but it is important to remember that it may also be present without any obvious signs.

Dentists are often a first line of defense in detecting abnormalities that may indicate the presence of oral cancer. An oral cancer screening takes less than five minutes and is part of every dental exam
performed in our practice.

Symptoms
It is important to call our office if you notice any of these symptoms that do not go away within 2 weeks:

Painful or painless mouth ulcer that does not go away
White or red patches in your mouth or on your lips
A lump on the neck or jaw
Swelling within the mouth that refuses to go away
Numbness, pain or tenderness in the head or neck

Risk Factors

Infection with certain viruses such as HPV, a virus that also causes cervical cancer in women
Tobacco use
Drinking alcohol in excess
Excessive exposure to the harmful UV rays of the sun

As with many cancers, early detection is the key to successful treatment. Regular oral cancer screenings are an effective means of finding cancer at its early, highly curable stages.

Healthy Food Choices for Healthy Smiles

Everyone knows that sugary foods and drinks can cause tooth decay. But there are other types of foods to watch out for, as well as many dietary choices that can improve oral health.

Children’s Dental Health

All children share certain things in common—a love of pizza, for example. But let’s face it: Your child is unique. You know it…and we know it! Your child is not just a number in our practice—we know our patients well and we pride ourselves on caring for each of them as we would our own family members.

Don’t Ignore Dry Mouth

It can range from being annoying to downright uncomfortable— but if left untreated, dry mouth can actually do dental damage. Let’s look at some of the facts about dry mouth.

The Importance of Regular Dental Check-ups

Maintaining the best oral health possible is essential for overall well-being, and one of the key pillars of good oral hygiene is regular dental check-ups.