Oral Cancer Month

Oral cancer includes mouth, tongue, tonsil and throat cancers. The incidence of new diagnosis continues to increase in the US and worldwide. The pathways to oral cancer include the use of tobacco and alcohol and exposure to the HPV-16 virus (human papilloma virus version 16). This virus is also one confirmed pathway for cervical cancer in women. Genetic predisposition can also contribute to oral cancer, but it is not as common of a cause.

In the US, there are about 100 new cases diagnosed daily and the death rate is around one person per hour. Oral cancer is not a rare thing. One of the biggest concerns is that diagnosis is often times in the later stages of oral cancer. The key is awareness; What are the symptoms, what can it look like,  and are you at risk??? The other key is early screening and regular examination from your dental professional.

As an added service for our patients, Sedation & Implant Dentistry is now offering OraRisk HPV testing. This type of test screens for several types of HPV that have been known to cause abnormal pathology and certain oral cancers. The test will help us in identifying what HPV strains you may have been exposed to and the risk category that you would fall in to.

We also offer MyPerioPath bacterial screening, which helps identify gum disease causing bacteria, and MyPerioID genetic testing for periodontal disease. We as a practice believe in the importance of early diagnosis and appropriate treatment modalities. We want to make sure that we are delivering the best care and that we are staying current on emerging problems that affect our patients and their families.

http://www.oraldna.com/Patients/Patients.aspx for more information on the screenings

http://www.cancer.org/cancer/oralcavityandoropharyngealcancer/index for more information on Oral Cancer

http://www.oralcancerfoundation.org/hpv/index.htm