April is Oral Cancer Awareness Month. We don’t hear as much about oral cancer as some other types of cancer, but it’s a serious risk that increases as we get older. I want to make sure my patients at Chapel Hill Advanced Dentistry are aware of this disease, as well as its prevention.
Oral Cancer Risks
If you smoke or use tobacco and/or abuse alcohol, your risk of getting oral cancer can be as much as 300 times higher than other people. (Source: National Institutes of Health, 2006) Even the alcohol in mouthwash can add to that risk.
Another risk that most people aren’t aware of is HPV, or the human papillomavirus, a sexually transmitted virus that can cause genital cancers. It can also cause oral cancers. If you know that you have HPV, or are concerned about it, you may want to have more frequent checkups and cancer screens.
If you haven’t had a checkup recently, call our dental office in Chapel Hill
at 919.933.3388 and schedule your appointment today. Information and prevention is key — not just for your teeth, but every part of you!
