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Causes and Treatments of Oral Cancer
Oral cancer has a number of risk factors with tobacco use being the number one threat in developing the disease. If alcohol is also consumed, it increases the risk even more. The human papillomavirus can also cause cancer, and ultraviolet radiation, age, a poor diet and deficiencies of the immune system may be added to the list. One other factor that can increase a person’s chance of developing oral cancer is exposure to other substances besides tobacco that are known carcinogens. There are a number of symptoms that you can watch for in detecting oral cancer:
1. A lesion in the mouth that takes longer than a week to heal. It may look like a canker sore or a red or white patch inside the mouth.
2. An abnormal taste in the mouth.
3. Swallowing or chewing difficulties.
4. Changes in the structure of the jaw.
5. Numbness of the mouth.
6. Sores within the mouth that bleed.
7. Hoarseness of the voice or a change in the voice.
8. A soreness of the throat.
An oral cancer screening at the dentist’s office will determine if cancer is present. Treatment entails removal of the cancerous tissue. This may be all that is required. For cancer in a more advanced stage, radiation and chemotherapy will also be necessary to treat the disease.
Regular visits to the dentist will help to keep teeth and gums healthy and detect any changes in the mouth that could be a sign of problems.
Source: Dentist Torrance
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