According to the Oral Cancer Foundation, close to 37,000 Americans will be diagnosed with oral or pharyngeal cancer this year, which is responsible for approximately 8,000 deaths annually. Common risk factors for oral cancer include use of tobacco products (smoked and smokeless), excessive alcohol consumption, and HPV infection.

Possible signs and symptoms of oral cancer include:

• A sore in the throat or mouth that bleeds easily and does not heal within two weeks;
• A lump or thickening in the cheek;
• A white or red patch on the gums, tongue, tonsil or lining of the mouth;
• A sore throat or a feeling that something is caught in the throat;
• Difficulty chewing or swallowing;
• Difficulty moving the jaw or tongue; or
• Numbness of the tongue or other area of the mouth.

Denture patients may experience swelling of the jaw that causes dentures to fit poorly or become uncomfortable.

If you’ve noticed any of these symptoms, don’t wait — call a dentist right away and ask about an oral cancer screening. The waiting game is a dangerous one — when found early, the survival rate for oral cancers is around 80 percent. But the majority of oral cancers aren’t discovered until late-stage, which accounts for the very high death rate of about 45% at five years from diagnosis.

As part of our commitment to oral cancer detection, 340 Aspen Dental practices in 22 states will donate $5 from every Vizilite Plus screening conducted during the month of April to the Oral Cancer Foundation.

© 2012, Maureen Howes, RDH, MS. All rights reserved.