What You Should Know About Oral Cancer
Every member of every person’s medical, dental and care team — including dentists and physicians — is committed to maintaining, protecting and restoring your health. All those team members know just how concerned patients are about cancer risks and diagnoses and know about the importance of early detection. With that background in mind, dentists use VELscope screening near you to help protect you from oral cancer. Oral cancer can affect all the soft tissues in your mouth, including your lips, cheeks, teeth, gums and tongue, as well as the bottom and roof of your mouth. Oropharyngeal cancer (throat cancer) also affects the back of your tongue, the roof of your mouth and your tonsils as well as your throat. The Canadian Cancer Society estimates that 5,400 Canadians were diagnosed with oral cancer in 2020. Roughly 1,500 people died from oral cancer in 2020. The symptoms and risk factors for oral cancer Because the symptoms of potential oral cancer can resemble so many other conditio...