Oral Cancer Risks

Oral cancer is a malignant growth that affects any part of the oral cavity, including the lips, upper or lower jaw, tongue, gums, cheeks, and throat. Anyone can get oral cancer, but the risk is higher if you are male, over age 40, use tobacco or alcohol or have a history of head or neck cancer. Understanding the causative factors of oral cancer will contribute to the prevention of the disease. Your health is important to us and you should schedule regular dental checkups with our doctors at Riverwalk Dental to detect oral cancer early when it is the easiest to treat.

If you smoke, drink excessive amounts of alcohol or have a poor diet, changing these habits can decrease the chances of developing oral cancer. Also, if you’ve had oral cancer before, you may be more likely to develop it again, so keeping up with regular dental visits is important. If you notice mouth ulcers that do not heal, pain when swallowing, a sensation that something is stuck in the throat, or pain in the neck or ears that isn’t going away, schedule a consultation with one of our doctors at Riverwalk Dental to treat the problem.

If you have questions or concerns about oral cancer, please give us a call. Riverwalk Dental is located at 540 6^th Avenue SE, Calgary, Alberta, T2G 1K5, Canada. To schedule an appointment, call 1-403-456-4994 or visit riverwalkdental.ca.

Oral Cancer linked to Alcohol

Oral cancer screenings are one of the many services we provide our patients at Riverwalk Dental in Calgary. A dentist is often the first health professional to detect a case of oral cancer and remains important throughout the care process. As part of our goal of combatting this disease, we wanted to share the findings of a study by the American Society of Clinical Oncology that found a relationship between oral cancer and alcohol use.

The new study found that about 5% of new cancer cases globally are due to alcohol. This statistic included oral and throat cancers. While it has long been known that smoking and alcohol combined presented an oral cancer risk, the new study examined alcohol in isolation. The exact cause-and-effect remains unclear, but scientists suppose that alcohol may break down oral tissues and there is a chance for a DNA copy error to occur every time they regrow.

The study found that the type of alcohol consumed appeared to be irrelevant and that, while heavy drinking presented the greatest risk, moderate and light drinking could also lead to cancer. However, it also found that the risk of cancer in the mouth and the rest of the aerodigestive tract declined if the subject stopped drinking.

Dr. Jared Palmer and his team operate Riverwalk Dental at 540 6^th Avenue SE, Calgary, Alberta, T2G 1K5, Canada. To schedule an appointment, call 1-403-456-4994 or visit Riverwalk Dental.

 

Oral Cancer Treatment

The oral cavity includes the lips, cheek lining, gums, the tongue, the hard palate, and the throat. Oral cancer is divided into two categories, one in the back of the throat, and the other in these oral extremities. It’s important to understand how serious oral cancer is and why you should visit us twice a year for an oral cancer screening.

If you notice a sore or irritation in the mouth that won’t go away, pain or tenderness in the mouth or lips, and/or difficulty chewing, consider an oral cancer screening. The goal of oral cancer screening is to identify mouth cancer early when there is a greater chance for a cure. Smokers and heavy alcohol users increase their risk of oral cancer and may benefit from screening, the most.

If you have questions or concerns about oral cancer, please give us a call. To learn about the services we provide at the practice, visit www.riverwalkdental.ca for more information. To schedule an appointment with one of our doctors at Riverwalk Dental located at Canada, Alberta, T1B 4Y2, Medicine Hat, 101-7 Strachan Bay, SE, 403-456-4994.