Can Your Mouth Be Hiding a Secret? Part 2

Close to 43,250 Americans will have been diagnosed with oral or pharyngeal cancer this year. Historically the death rate associated with this cancer is particularly high not because it is hard to discover or diagnose, but due to the cancer being routinely discovered late in its development. The good new is that it can be diagnosed early in screenings available here at StarBrite Dental . And early detection and treatment is ideal with much better survival rates.

Here are a couple risk factors that you can control which may affect your chances of developing oral cancer:

• Tobacco Use
• Excessive Alcohol Consumption
• The Combined Use of Alcohol and Tobacco
• Excessive Unprotected Exposure to the Sun
• Low Intake of Fruits and Vegetables

Here are some other factors which also affect oral cancer risk, and are less within one's control:

• Age: the older we get, the more we tend to develop diseases in general, including oral cancer.
• HPV 16 Viral Infections: there is an increasing number of young people being diagnosed with oral cancer who are non-smokers. The cause is HP16 viral infections, the same one responsible for 95% of all cervical cancers.
• Recurrence: Previous cancer patients have a higher risk of recurrence.
• Gender: Males are more prone to oral cancer than females, but a lot of this depends on life style.

StarBrite Dental of Rockville, MDnow offers VELscope for oral cancer screenings along with your Professional Hygiene Appointment. The VELscope was recently featured on the popular TV talk show "The Doctors."

Routine check ups and cleanings, along with periodic dental evaluations and oral screenings are important to maintain your teeth and gums for life, as well as defending the gateway to the rest of your body.

If you have a concern or more questions about oral cancer, or if you are interested in scheduling your oral cancer screening with the new VELscope, please give us a call at (301) 770-1070.