{"id":522,"date":"2019-04-07T13:48:23","date_gmt":"2019-04-07T13:48:23","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.weatherfordfamilydentist.com\/blog\/?p=522"},"modified":"2019-04-25T13:51:56","modified_gmt":"2019-04-25T13:51:56","slug":"dentist-in-weatherford-oral-cancer-awareness","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.weatherfordfamilydentist.com\/blog\/dentist-in-weatherford-oral-cancer-awareness\/","title":{"rendered":"Why Early Diagnosis for Oral Cancer is Vital Says a Dentist in Weatherford"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignleft size-medium wp-image-523\" src=\"https:\/\/www.weatherfordfamilydentist.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/AdobeStock_211428642__1556197873_41325-300x200.jpg\" alt=\"a woman wearing a white shirt with a red ribbon for oral cancer awareness\" width=\"300\" height=\"200\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.weatherfordfamilydentist.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/AdobeStock_211428642__1556197873_41325-300x200.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.weatherfordfamilydentist.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/AdobeStock_211428642__1556197873_41325-768x512.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.weatherfordfamilydentist.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/AdobeStock_211428642__1556197873_41325.jpg 800w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\" \/>When you think about cancer, you probably don\u2019t automatically consider how it can develop within your mouth. Oftentimes, we tend to think of cancer as something that affects the body, not the mouth. Unfortunately, if oral cancer develops and goes undetected, it can kill far more than those battling cervical, liver, kidney, or testicular cancer. A <a href=\"https:\/\/www.weatherfordfamilydentist.com\/general-dentistry.html\">dentist in Weatherford<\/a> explains why screening is important for early detection, as well as what signs and symptoms to watch for should you suspect you may be at risk.<\/p>\n<p><!--more--><\/p>\n<h2>Risky Behaviors that Can Lead to Oral Cancer<\/h2>\n<p>When it comes to discussing risk factors, you may say, \u201cYeah, well, it still won\u2019t happen to me.\u201d While it may not, if you practice or participate in any or all the risky behaviors listed below, you are increasing your chance of developing oral cancer. Why take the chance? Isn\u2019t your health and the idea of living a long, happy life worth giving up some of these bad habits? Look and decide for yourself.<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Smoking or using tobacco products<\/li>\n<li>Excessive alcohol consumption<\/li>\n<li>Lengthy amounts of sun exposure<\/li>\n<li>An unhealthy diet consisting of sugar, carbohydrates, and not enough nutrient-rich foods<\/li>\n<li>Human papillomavirus (HPV)<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>Now, as with most cancers, not all risk factors are associated with bad habits. Some are simply genetic or appear more frequently in one certain demographic. With oral cancer, men over the age of 50 are more likely to be diagnosed, but more cases are occurring in both men and women under the age of 40. This is due, in part, to the increase in HPV.<\/p>\n<h2>Symptom Checklist: What to Watch For<\/h2>\n<p>If you want to be 100% sure that what you\u2019re seeing is a sign of oral cancer, the best person to see is your dentist. A dental professional is trained to know what to look for, even if you can\u2019t see it. While your dentist may use x-rays and a visual and tactile exam to screen for oral cancer, you can be on the lookout for the following symptoms prior to your dental appointment.<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Red and white patches in your mouth<\/li>\n<li>A lump or hard spot<\/li>\n<li>Oral sores that continually bleed and don\u2019t heal<\/li>\n<li>Difficulty chewing or moving your jaw<\/li>\n<li>Loose teeth that are unexplainable<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2>Oral Cancer Screening: A True Life-Saver<\/h2>\n<p>Your dentist may strongly encourage you to attend your six-month appointments so that they can check you for tooth decay and gum disease, but they\u2019re also stressing the importance so that you can receive an oral cancer screening. The survival rate of patients who are diagnosed within the first year is more than 80%. That\u2019s a pretty good percentage!<\/p>\n<p>During your appointment, your dentist will perform a visual exam to look for any signs or symptoms associated with oral cancer. You may not even realize the exam is happening, so you don\u2019t need to worry about it being painful. In fact, it\u2019s also very quick! Should your dentist see anything that is concerning, you will receive instructions on what to do to receive a proper diagnosis and treatment.<\/p>\n<p>Don\u2019t underestimate the importance of your six-month checkups. Not only will you leave with a healthier smile, but you\u2019ll also feel better knowing you\u2019re taking a proactive approach to maintain your overall health with an oral cancer screening.<\/p>\n<p><strong>About the Practice<br \/>\n<\/strong>At Cosmetic &amp; Family Dentistry of Weatherford, our dental office has been serving the community for almost 60 years! Offering comprehensive family dentistry, our dentists, Dr. Deborah Romack and Dr. Garrett Mulkey, and expert dental team offers one-on-one service. We use the latest technology to ensure you and your family are in and out of your appointments on time. To learn more about us, visit our <a href=\"https:\/\/www.weatherfordfamilydentist.com\/contact-us.html\">website<\/a> or call <strong>(817) 594-3806<\/strong>.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>When you think about cancer, you probably don\u2019t automatically consider how it can develop within your mouth. Oftentimes, we tend to think of cancer as something that affects the body, not the mouth. Unfortunately, if oral cancer develops and goes undetected, it can kill far more than those battling cervical, liver, kidney, or testicular cancer. [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-522","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-uncategorized"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v27.5 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>Dentist in Weatherford | Oral Cancer Awareness<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Do you know why early detection is key when diagnosing oral cancer? 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A dentist in Weatherford explains the importance of screening.\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/www.weatherfordfamilydentist.com\/blog\/dentist-in-weatherford-oral-cancer-awareness\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"Cosmetic and Family Dentistry Blog\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:author\" content=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/cosmeticandfamilydentistryofweatherford\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2019-04-07T13:48:23+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2019-04-25T13:51:56+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/www.weatherfordfamilydentist.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/AdobeStock_211428642__1556197873_41325-300x200.jpg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"Dr. Deborah Romack\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"Dr. Deborah Romack\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"3 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\\\/\\\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"Article\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.weatherfordfamilydentist.com\\\/blog\\\/dentist-in-weatherford-oral-cancer-awareness\\\/#article\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.weatherfordfamilydentist.com\\\/blog\\\/dentist-in-weatherford-oral-cancer-awareness\\\/\"},\"author\":{\"name\":\"Dr. Deborah Romack\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.weatherfordfamilydentist.com\\\/blog\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/person\\\/1078e1e035d8403257e4f455ad252d59\"},\"headline\":\"Why Early Diagnosis for Oral Cancer is Vital Says a Dentist in Weatherford\",\"datePublished\":\"2019-04-07T13:48:23+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2019-04-25T13:51:56+00:00\",\"mainEntityOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.weatherfordfamilydentist.com\\\/blog\\\/dentist-in-weatherford-oral-cancer-awareness\\\/\"},\"wordCount\":638,\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.weatherfordfamilydentist.com\\\/blog\\\/dentist-in-weatherford-oral-cancer-awareness\\\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.weatherfordfamilydentist.com\\\/blog\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/AdobeStock_211428642__1556197873_41325-300x200.jpg\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\"},{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.weatherfordfamilydentist.com\\\/blog\\\/dentist-in-weatherford-oral-cancer-awareness\\\/\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.weatherfordfamilydentist.com\\\/blog\\\/dentist-in-weatherford-oral-cancer-awareness\\\/\",\"name\":\"Dentist in Weatherford | Oral Cancer Awareness\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.weatherfordfamilydentist.com\\\/blog\\\/#website\"},\"primaryImageOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.weatherfordfamilydentist.com\\\/blog\\\/dentist-in-weatherford-oral-cancer-awareness\\\/#primaryimage\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.weatherfordfamilydentist.com\\\/blog\\\/dentist-in-weatherford-oral-cancer-awareness\\\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.weatherfordfamilydentist.com\\\/blog\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/AdobeStock_211428642__1556197873_41325-300x200.jpg\",\"datePublished\":\"2019-04-07T13:48:23+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2019-04-25T13:51:56+00:00\",\"author\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.weatherfordfamilydentist.com\\\/blog\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/person\\\/1078e1e035d8403257e4f455ad252d59\"},\"description\":\"Do you know why early detection is key when diagnosing oral cancer? 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