Here at Adam Dental Supplies Australia, we are committed to promoting the importance of regular preventative dental care. These routine appointments should be undertaken by adults of all ages and children every six months. As well as a dental check, x-rays, and a clean, an important aspect of these appointments (especially for adults) is oral cancer screening.
What is Oral Cancer Screening?
Oral cancer is any cancer that may occur in the mouth – including the lips, gums, inside the cheeks, the tongue, the floor of the mouth, the tonsils, the salivary glands, and the palate (roof of the mouth).
Oral cancer screening is a basic part of every thorough dental check-up. The dentist will look inside the mouth, at the cheeks, gums, palate, and tongue for early signs including:
- Unhealing ulcers or sores
- Lumps in the mouth
- Pain in the mouth
- Unexplained loose teeth
- Red or white patches in the mouth
- Pain when swallowing
- Swollen or uneven tonsils
- Swollen glands in the neck or under the chin.
These signs don’t necessarily mean a person has cancer – simply that further assessment or monitoring are required to rule out cancer as a cause and treat the issue either way.
Why is it Important?
As with any cancer, but particularly due to the anatomy of the head and neck, it’s important for oral cancer to be identified, diagnosed, and treated as quickly as possible.
Oral cancer in Australia is relatively uncommon – there were around 700 new cases diagnosed here in 2021. Most are squamous cell carcinomas – which can spread quite quickly to nearby structures and eventually other parts of the body. With prompt diagnosis, survival rates are very high – but if it has an opportunity to grow and spread, this diminishes dramatically.
Early detection is the key to survival.
Oral cancer used to be thought to be primarily caused by smoking (tobacco and/or cannabis) and heavy alcohol consumption. While these do certainly contribute, more cases are now directly associated with exposure to the Human Papilloma Virus (HPV). This is a common sexually transmitted infection that can also affect other parts of the body. Most people who are exposed are exposed in their 20s, and it is usually cleared by the body naturally; for a minority of people, however, it can develop into cancer many years later. Oral cancer is affecting more people at younger ages – as early as 40-50 in some cases.
Caring for your Oral Health
- See your dentist for a check-up and screening every 6 months
- If you have any unusual or new lumps, unhealing ulcers or sores, swollen glands, or other lesions in your mouth that don’t go away after 2 weeks, see your dentist.
- Brush and floss your teeth twice daily
- Don’t smoke
- Moderate alcohol consumption
- Use an alcohol-free mouthwash
- Vaccination is now available against HPV. This is usually offered to high school students in Australia (it use to be referred to as the “cervical cancer” vaccine). This helps protect against an array of cancers, including the cervix and oral cancers.
- Protect your lips in the sun with a high SPF lip balm.
Purchase your oral health supplies, like Ultradent products, from Adam Dental for the best prices and fast delivery Australia-wide.