April 2019: Oral Cancer Awareness Month

This April is Oral Cancer Awareness Month. Dr. Kathleen Falsey of Bayberry Dental Care, located in Tinley Park, IL., offers oral cancer screenings and information for our patients. Dentists are often the first medical professionals to diagnose oral cancer. Prevention is the key to living a healthy life. If you experience anything new or weird happening in your mouth that lasts longer than two weeks, make an appointment ASAP.

 

Any new or strange anomalies need to be seen by your dentist immediately. If these issues are reoccurring or have lasted longer than two weeks than it is especially urgent. This is often the first indicator of something more serious. Be on the lookout for these symptoms:

 

Mouth sores that take over 14 days to heal, a new and strange coloring of the soft tissue, lumps or hard spots in the mouth, especially if they bleed easily, and/or a lump on the outside of the neck.

 

The symptoms for HPV-cause oropharyngeal cancer often vary from the symptoms above. For these patients, they might experience a sore or hoarse throat, a constant cough, lump on the neck, problems swallowing, and an ache in one or both ears.

 

The two major risk factors for oral cancer is heavy drinking and smoking. Patients should also be cautious of other tobacco products, such as chewing tobacco. The other risk factor is contracting the sexually transmitted human papillomavirus 16.

 

Don’t wait to make an appointment if you or a loved one are experiencing any of these symptoms. Your health isn’t worth the risk. Contact Bayberry Dental Care, located in Tinley Park, IL. To schedule an appointment with Dr. Kathleen Falsey, visit our website or call 708-802-8300.

 

Oral Cancer Risks

Oral cancer is the largest group of cancers which fall into the head and neck category. This includes cancer of the tongue, mouth, tonsils, and throat. Mouth cancer may develop at any age, but mostly happens after the age of 40, and the risk is more than twice as high in men as it is in women. If you are a smoker or consume alcohol in moderation, or have a history of oral cancer in your family, ask Dr. Kathleen Falsey, DDS of Bayberry Dental Care about oral cancer screening.

Oral cancer typically appears as a growth or a sore in the mouth that does not go away after a matter of weeks. However, we don’t encourage you to wait weeks if you notice a red or white patch of skin that is causing you pain. The most common symptoms of oral cancer include a lump or thickening in the cheek, a sore throat or the feeling that something is caught in the throat. In our office, Dr. Falsey offers oral cancer screening to patients to cancer in its earliest stage when it is easiest to treat.

If you have questions or concerns regarding oral cancer, please give us a call. To learn about services we provide at our practice, visit www.bayberrydentalcare.com for more information. To schedule an appointment with Dr. Kathleen Falsey, DDS in our Tinley Park, IL office, call Bayberry Dental Care at 708-802-8300.

Oral Cancer Screenings

We want you and your family to be aware of the risk of oral cancer, and encourage you to ask about an oral cancer screening with each dental checkup.  Heavy smoking and drinking of course increase the risk of oral cancer, but oral cancer can still occur if someone never smokes.  In fact, the human papilloma virus (HPV) was recently found to be responsible for most oral cancers that originated in the back of the mouth. 

To screen for oral cancer, our doctors perform a visual exam and use an ultraviolet light device to detect any cancerous irregularities in tissue.  This exam can be done in a short length of time and in addition to any dental appointment.  Regular screenings are the best way to protect you and your family, but always contact us if you notice any inexplicable pain, swelling, or numbness in your throat or jaw.

To learn more about oral cancer screenings and all the services we provide, visit www.bayberrydentalcare.com for more information. To schedule an appointment with Dr. Kathleen Falsey, DDS in our Tinley Park, IL office, call Bayberry Dental Care at 708-802-8300. 

Purpose of Oral Cancer Screening

Oral cancer appears as a growth or a sore in the mouth that does not go away. It can linger on the lips, tongue, cheeks, floor of the mouth, the palate, and throat and can be life threatening if not diagnosed and treated early. In addition, another danger of oral cancer is that in its early stages, it can go unnoticed. This is why Dr. Kathleen Falsey offers oral cancer screening to patients to identify mouth cancer early, when there is a greater chance for a cure.

Screening for oral cancer may be done during a routine check-up that is performed by Dr. Kathleen Falsey. The exam will include a visual inspection of the mouth and palpation of the jaw and neck. It is often completed with an ultraviolet light or similar device that allows our doctor to view issues that can’t always be detected by the human eye under normal conditions. In between visits at Bayberry Dental Care, it’s important to be aware of the following signs and symptoms such as: pain or tenderness in the oral cavity, a sore or irritation that doesn’t go away, as well as difficulty chewing, swallowing, or speaking. Be sure to call us if they do not disappear after two weeks.  

Just because Dr. Kathleen Falsey recommends oral cancer screenings to patients, this does not mean you have oral cancer. To learn more about oral cancer screening as well as other services we provide, visit www.bayberrydentalcare.com for more information. To schedule an appointment with Dr. Kathleen Falsey at Bayberry Dental Care in Tinley Park, IL, call 708-802-8300.