If you were told that by taking just two or three minutes of your time every six months you could save your life, you would almost certainly do it. This is the deal we are offered when it comes to checking for oral cancer yet so many of us are too busy or forgetful to go to the dentist for a check up every six months. As well as checking the health of your teeth, your Bristol dentist will also carry out a small oral cancer examination. This involves checking all the soft tissue areas in the mouth such as the lips, cheek lining, tongue and throat for signs and symptoms of the disease. This is one of the most sure-fire ways of catching oral cancer in its early stages, which could make all the difference in the world.
Oral cancer is a very nasty form of the disease. About 300,000 people are diagnosed with oral cancer every year across the world, with one person dying every hour from the disease in the US alone. If not caught sufficiently early, oral cancer can be deadly. However, if caught in its early stages, oral cancer is very treatable with patients having a greater than 80 per cent chance of beating the disease.
There are several high risk factors that affect your chances of contracting oral cancer. Smokers and drinkers are at a much greater risk, especially if they do both simultaneously. Men are also more at risk than women, especially men over the age of fifty. Although it is important to remember that you are still at risk form oral cancer even if none of the risk factors apply to you and should still always get checked regularly.
If you show any of the signs of oral cancer such as small red or white sores in the mouth, unexplained bleeding in the mouth or sudden weight loss then make an appointment to see a Bristol dentist immediately, and even if you show no signs of the disease, remember how important a check up could be for you.
Dr Gerrard is a Bristol based Cosmetic dentist with many years of experience and is one of only a small number of dentists accredited by The British Academy of Cosmetic Dentistry
