This post from the Mt. Vernon Center for Dentistry in Alexandria focuses on a very serious matter, oral cancers. The medical community designates oral cancers as a subset of head and neck cancers.
Oral cancers can develop in the following locations:
- The tongue
- The roof of the mouth and under the tongue
- The inside of the cheeks
- The oropharynx (the part behind the soft palate)
- The salivary glands
- The lips
Oral Cancers Are Particularly Deadly
Over 50,000 people are diagnosed with a type of oral cancer every single year. They are more than twice as prevalent in men. Oral cancers claim over 10,000 lives per year.
The statistics reveal that only 57 percent of those diagnosed this year will be alive in five years. Talk about a grim outlook.
Warning signs of oral cancer include:
- A lump or thickening in your throat
- White or red patches on your tongue, tonsils, or lining of your cheeks and gums
- Numbness of any oral feature
- Any type of lesion, cut, or canker-type sore that doesn’t heal within 14 days
At the Mt. Vernon Center for Dentistry in Alexandria, oral cancer screenings are part of every checkup. We offer family and restorative dentistry. Schedule an appointment today!
Contact Mt. Vernon Center For Dentistry:
703-360-5881
Location (Tap to open in Google Maps):
8101 Hinson Farm Rd Ste 114
Alexandria, Virginia
22306
