Healthy Family Dentistry Involves Oral Cancer Screening

When people are concerned about their oral health, they don't normally think of being screened for oral cancer in addition to normal checkups and cleanings. Unfortunately, oral cancer is a very real disease, and screening is the best way to prevent and detect before it's too late.

Healthy family dentistry is all about making sure everyone in your family has proper oral hygiene. This includes screening for oral cancer. This quick, non-invasive procedure simply involves an oral examination of the gums, inner cheeks and teeth of the patient to check for anything abnormal. It’s painless and can be performed right along with any other dental work, including checkups, x-rays, cleanings and other procedures.

The reason why oral cancer screening is rising in urgency is due to the fact that most patients don't even know they have the disease until it has spread to other areas of the body and is nearly impossible to treat. In fact, the five year survival rate after discovering a spreading oral cancer is only 50 percent. Caught early, survival rates are much higher. A great dentist in Jacksonville FL understands the need to check for oral cancer for the overall health of their patients, so any threat can be caught early on.

Another reason for the increase in oral cancer screenings is the number of people being diagnosed each year with the disease. Oral cancer used to be a rare form of cancer that afflicted mainly heavy drinkers and smokers, but a recent connection with HPV is believed to be causing the numbers to rise in oral cancer patients. Every year, 35,000 people are diagnosed with oral cancer, which is an alarming rate of increase.

Patients can make sure they are screened for oral cancer when they get their normal checkups and cleanings. A quality dentist in Jacksonville FL can use their expertise and skill to check certain areas of the mouth for signs of oral cancer quickly and discreetly. There is no pain, little discomfort, and the procedure can be done right along with other dental procedures. Since oral cancer is difficult to treat once it has spread, these simple screenings for oral cancer can make a huge difference and even save lives.

With good oral hygiene, healthy family dentisty and proper screenings, a patient can know if they have oral cancer sooner than ever before. Painless, quick and potentially life-saving, oral cancer screening is something that every person should think about when it comes to oral health. A simple screening can make a huge difference in a patient's health, and can help catch oral cancer before it spreads to other areas of the body.