At Gulf Coast Smiles, your trusted dentist in Cape Coral, we want to emphasize the critical importance of regular oral cancer screenings as part of your comprehensive dental care. Early detection can significantly impact the success of treatment, making regular screenings your first line of defense against oral cancer.
During your screening, our experienced dentist will thoroughly examine your lips, tongue, gums, mouth, and throat for any signs of abnormalities that could indicate cancer. If you’ve been experiencing symptoms for more than a week without improvement, it’s essential to schedule an appointment immediately. Potential symptoms of oral cancer include:
- Ear pain
- Unexplained mouth bleeding
- Mouth sores that don’t heal
- White or red patches in your mouth
- Significant weight loss
- Lumps or swellings in or around your mouth
- Persistent sore throat without sinus symptoms
- Feeling like something is caught in the back of your throat
- Difficulty or pain when swallowing, speaking, or moving your jaw or tongue
Oral cancer is a serious condition, with one American dying from it every hour. While anyone can develop oral cancer, certain factors increase your risk, including genetic predisposition, prolonged sun exposure, poor diet, and excessive alcohol consumption. Men are more commonly affected than women, and those with gastro-esophageal reflux disease (GERD) are also at higher risk. Tobacco users, in particular, are six times more likely to develop oral cancer than non-users.
The success of oral cancer treatment largely depends on the size, type, and stage of the cancer at the time of diagnosis. Early detection is crucial—oral cancers caught in their early stages have a survival rate of 80-90%. This is because early-stage cancers can often be treated with less invasive procedures. In contrast, cancers detected at later stages tend to be larger, more complex, and may have spread beyond the mouth.
Gulf Coast Smiles is currently accepting new patients. If you’re concerned about oral cancer or want more information about our screening services, please contact our Cape Coral office today to schedule a consultation. Early detection could save your life—don’t delay your screening.