At Mason Dental in Grapevine, checkups are about more than looking for new cavities. We want our patients to come in twice a year for a dental examination and cleaning, and yes, that’s really important. But we’ll also do an oral cancer screening.
In the last few decades, lung and breast cancer have had a lot of public attention. Oral cancer doesn’t get quite that same attention, even though it claims almost 10,000 lives every year in the United States. If you smoke or have contracted HPV, you have a higher risk for developing oral cancer.
At Mason Dental, we work to increase awareness of oral cancer and the significance of early diagnosis. Here are five vital things to know about oral (mouth) and oropharyngeal (back of mouth and throat) cancers.
- About 80% of men and women with oral cancer use some variety of tobacco (cigarettes, chewing tobacco, pipes).
- 40% of individuals who receive late-stage diagnosis of oral cancer die within five years. The survival rate for early stage diagnosis is 90%.
- In many cases, it is extremely challenging for the individual to detect oral and oropharyngeal cancers because they can produce unobtrusive symptoms or no symptoms at all. Any abnormality in the mouth or throat, even if small and painless, should be checked out by a dentist or doctor.
- HPV (the most common sexually transmitted disease in the US) is the most common cause of oropharyngeal cancer. Of the various strains of HPV, HPV16 is the one most frequently linked to oropharyngeal cancer.
- Black males have a higher risk of dying from oral cancer than whites.
At Mason Dental in Grapevine we believe oral cancer screenings are essential, and should be enough to get anyone in for an appointment. We also offer general dentistry. Schedule your next checkup with us today.
Contact Mason Dental Cosmetic – Implant – Family:
817-481-4717
Location (Tap to open in Google Maps):
801 W Wall St
Grapevine, Texas
76051
