{"id":598,"date":"2017-04-19T00:16:17","date_gmt":"2017-04-19T00:16:17","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/blog.drgsmiles.com\/?p=598"},"modified":"2017-04-19T00:16:17","modified_gmt":"2017-04-19T00:16:17","slug":"dentist-medford-reminds-not-miss-oral-cancer-screening","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.drgsmiles.com\/blog\/2017\/04\/19\/dentist-medford-reminds-not-miss-oral-cancer-screening\/","title":{"rendered":"Your Dentist in Medford Reminds You Not to Miss Your Oral Cancer Screening"},"content":{"rendered":"\"Your<\/a>April is oral cancer awareness month, and we\u2019d like to bring some facts to your attention that you may not know. While there isn\u2019t a huge spotlight on oral cancer, it is actually responsible for one death every hour of every day. It will also affect close to 50,000 Americans this year alone, half of which will not be alive in the next five years. So even though we don\u2019t hear that much about it, oral cancer is serious, and it\u2019s numbers really haven\u2019t improved over the years. This is due to late diagnosis, and why your dentist in Medford is reminding you not to miss your oral cancer screening!\n\n\n

What is Oral Cancer?<\/h3>\nOral cancer<\/a> is the type of cancer that manifests in the head and neck region, excluding the brain, which has its own category of cancer. Oral cancer can be tricky to diagnose on your own, as it doesn\u2019t typically cause much pain in its early stages. This is why it\u2019s often diagnosed too late, when it\u2019s already moved to other critical areas of your body such as your lymph nodes, making your prognosis less positive.\n\nIt also has a high rate of reoccurrence, meaning that if you had oral cancer in the past, you\u2019re more likely to develop it again. This is why consistent routine check-ups with your dentist are so critical, as he can diagnose oral cancer much earlier than you can, giving you a better chance of a successful treatment and recovery.\n

Signs to Look For<\/h3>\nOral cancer often mimics other conditions such as a canker sore, making it harder to distinguish. A good rule of thumb is to have your dentist check any sore or lesions that isn\u2019t healing properly within 14 days. Other symptoms to be aware of are:\n