April Is Oral Cancer Awareness Month.

This recognition month was created to raise awareness of oral and oropharyngeal (the back of the oral cavity and upper throat) cancers. It’s an important public reminder that mortality and treatment-related health issues are reduced when these cancers are detected and treated early.

We at the office of Armitage Oral Surgery are committed to providing all of our patients with the care and attention they need and deserve. We are experts in all types of oral surgery. During your consultation, we will evaluate your case, discuss any areas of concern you may have and then devise a plan to meet your expectations.

Regular oral cancer examinations by an oral health provider are the best ways to detect oral cancer in its early stages, but everyone should regularly check himself (or herself) for signs of oral cancer between dental visits. If the symptoms don’t improve or disappear after two or three weeks, an immediate examination by a dental professional is in order.

Several influences contribute to the development of oral and oropharyngeal cancers. People with an especially high risk of getting oral cancer used to be heavy drinkers and smokers older than 50. Now, however, non-smokers are getting the cancers from the human papillomavirus 16 (HPV), the virus most commonly associated with cervical cancer.

Symptoms of oral cancer due to long-term heavy smoking and/or drinking:

• A sore or ulceration that doesn’t heal within 14 days.
• A red, white or black discoloration of the soft tissues of the mouth.
• An abnormality that bleeds easily when touched.
• A lump or hard spot in oral tissue, usually the border of the tongue.
• A sore under a denture that, even after adjustment of the denture, doesn’t heal.
• A lump or thickening in the mouth.
• A painless, firm, fixated lump on the outside of the neck there for at least two weeks.

Symptoms oforopharyngeal cancer due toHPV 16:

• Hoarseness or a sore throat that doesn’t go away within a few weeks.

• A swollen, usually-painless tonsil.
• A painless, firm, fixated lump on the outside of the neck there for at least two weeks.
• A persistent cough that lasts for more than two weeks. 
• Difficulty swallowing and a sensation that food is getting caught in your throat.
• An earache that lasts for more than a few days.

If you’ve never been screened for oral cancer, there’s no better time than Oral Cancer Awareness Month. Armitage Oral Surgery uses state-of-the-art knowledge and technology to perform a complete array of surgical procedures with the utmost care and precision. To find out how we can help you, please call us today.