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.
