How Your Dentist Could Save You From Oral Cancer

(Newswire.net — September 15, 2018) Fort Lauderdale, FLORIDA — If you are a non-smoker or a non-drinker, you might think your chances of getting oral cancer are almost negligible. Sadly, you could be wrong.

According to a Harvard Medicine Health Blog, oropharyngeal cancers caused by smoking and drinking are on a decline, while those caused by human papilloma virus (HPV) are quickly rising.

HPV is the leading cause of oropharyngeal cancer, particularly in the tonsils, back of the throat and base of the tongue. Typically, it affects generally healthy, non-smokers between the ages of 35 and 55. Men are four times more likely to be affected than women.

HPV is a group of over 100 strains of a virus, many of which are harmless. A small number of strains, however, can cause abnormal changes to the cells of the cervix, oral cavity (mouth), pharynx (throat), vagina, vulva, penis, and anus, which can lead to cancer.

HPV is the most common sexually transmitted virus in the United States. It is passed through skin-to-skin contact of the genitals during vaginal, oral, and anal intercourse. It is estimated that approximately 12,000 people in the U.S. between the ages of 15 and 24 are infected with HPV every single day.

For most, exposure to HPV is harmless. A person with HPV may not even know they have it since many don’t experience any unusual signs or symptoms. The body’s natural immune response will fight and clear the infection, and the person will be completely unaware they were infected. Because someone can carry the infection without knowing it, the virus can easily be passed on to sexual partners.

Fort Lauderdale Dentist

Unfortunately, there is a small number of people with HPV who go on to develop cancer. Due to a lack of symptoms, the virus can lay dormant for years, going unnoticed, until it develops into something more serious.

It is estimated that 7% of people between the ages of 14 and 69 have an HPV infection in their mouth that could lead to throat cancer.

Symptoms of HPV-related throat cancer include swollen lymph nodes, earaches, swollen tongue, pain when swallowing, hoarseness, numbness inside the mouth, small lumps inside the mouth and around the neck, coughing up blood, red or white patches on the tonsils, and unexplained weight loss.

Early detection of HPV oral cancers can be difficult since most people don’t have any noticeable symptoms. Most throat cancers are diagnosed by doctors or dentists after symptoms begin to appear. The good news is that HPV-related oropharyngeal cancer has a survival rate of 85% if caught early enough and treated.  

Dentists can screen for oral cancer by looking for any signs of cancerous or pre-cancerous conditions in your mouth and throat during routine dental check-ups. Your dentist will examine your mouth for any signs of red or white patches, or sores and will also feel for any unusual lumps in the tissue.

Your dentist may also use other tests to determine if there are abnormal cells in your oral cavity:

• The patient rinses their mouth with a blue dye before being examined. Abnormal tissues take up the color and therefore, may be more evident to the dentist during the examination.

• Your dentist may shine a bright light in your mouth during an examination. The bright light makes normal tissue appear dark while making abnormal tissue appear white.

Risk of developing HPV or HPV-related oral cancers can be reduced by using protection during sex (condoms, dental dams), talking to your doctor about the HPV vaccine, and by asking your dentist to inspect your mouth for anything that appears unusual during routine dental check-ups.

Dr. Gary Kodish, DDS, and owner of Kodish Dental Group, offers a full care dentistry practice. His years as an experienced dentist and oral health care provider makes him a knowledgeable leader in preventative oral health. Dr. Kodish screens all of his patients during oral exams to optimize their general health and to initiate early interventions if needed. Nothing is more important to Dr. Kodish than keeping his patients healthy and happy.