{"id":283,"date":"2022-04-06T20:21:00","date_gmt":"2022-04-06T20:21:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.stephenscitydental.com\/blog\/?p=283"},"modified":"2022-05-19T20:28:05","modified_gmt":"2022-05-19T20:28:05","slug":"know-risk-of-oral-cancer-dentist-stephens-city","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.stephenscitydental.com\/blog\/2022\/04\/06\/know-risk-of-oral-cancer-dentist-stephens-city\/","title":{"rendered":"Are You at Risk for Oral Cancer?"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\"><figure class=\"alignright size-large is-resized\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.stephenscitydental.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/05\/AdobeStock_487864463__1652991988_59552.jpg\" alt=\"Sign for Oral Cancer Awareness Month\" class=\"wp-image-284\" width=\"306\" height=\"183\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.stephenscitydental.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/05\/AdobeStock_487864463__1652991988_59552.jpg 800w, https:\/\/www.stephenscitydental.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/05\/AdobeStock_487864463__1652991988_59552-300x180.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.stephenscitydental.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/05\/AdobeStock_487864463__1652991988_59552-768x461.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 306px) 100vw, 306px\" \/><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p>Dentists can quickly resolve all sorts of oral health problems, but oral cancer is different. It\u2019s notorious for its extensive treatments, unlike teeth stains, cavities, and fillings that can be remedied in only a few appointments. Depending on the diagnosis, full recovery can take months or even years.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>As you\u2019d expect, dentists usually work to <a href=\"https:\/\/www.stephenscitydental.com\/preventive-dentistry.html\">prevent<\/a> conditions like oral cancer from occurring in the first place. In honor of that tradition, here\u2019s a guide from your dentist in Stephens\u2019 City to oral cancer\u2019s risk factors and how to reduce their presence in your life.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<!--more-->\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Some Context: Just What is Oral Cancer?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Oral cancer is a type of cancer that develops in the mouth or throat tissues. Occurring in the tongue, tonsils, gums, and surrounding areas, it stems from the uncontrolled division of cells in those regions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>As with many other types of cancer, oral cancer\u2019s signs and symptoms vary from person to person. Some of the most common ones are mouth sores or ongoing pain. It can also appear as white or red patches on the gums, tonsils, or mouth lining. Other symptoms could include a lump in the mouth, or the feeling that something\u2019s caught in your throat.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">What Are Its Risk Factors?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>While oral cancer\u2019s symptomology is variable, its risk factors are fewer and more consistent. In particular, the following items increase the risk of oral cancer:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul><li><strong>Tobacco of Any Kind: <\/strong>Tobacco contains several cancer-causing substances known as carcinogens. In other words, cigarettes, cigars, pipes, and chewing tobacco contribute to oral cancer.<\/li><li><strong>Heavy Alcohol Use: <\/strong>One of the chemicals the body digests alcohol into is acetaldehyde, a carcinogen that can cause oral cancer.<\/li><li><strong>Excessive Sun Exposure: <\/strong>More specifically, excess sun exposure on your lips increases the risk of oral cancer.<\/li><li><strong>HPV: <\/strong>The onset of human papillomavirus (HPV), a sexually transmitted virus, is known to trigger certain kinds of oral cancer.<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Can I Prevent It?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Unfortunately, there is no scientifically proven way to prevent mouth cancer. However, you can do things to reduce your chances of developing it in the future.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>For one thing, don\u2019t use tobacco products. Smoked or chewed, tobacco exposes the cells in your mouth to dangerous cancer-causing chemicals.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Try cutting down on alcohol, too, only drinking it in moderation. That way, you\u2019ll reduce the buildup of chemicals that lead to oral cancer.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>If possible, avoid excessive sun exposure to your lips. Stay in the shade, wear a sun-blocking lip balm, or wear a hat that shades your entire face.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>See your dentist regularly. Have them inspect your entire mouth for abnormalities that may signal mouth cancer or precancerous changes. It wouldn\u2019t hurt to practice good oral habits independently, either.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Dentists haven\u2019t yet perfected a way to treat oral cancer as quickly as other dental issues. Until that day comes, remember the disease\u2019s risk factors, and try to keep them in check!<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">About the Author<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.stephenscitydental.com\/meet-the-dentist.html\"><em>Dr. Thomas A. Gromling<\/em><\/a><em> is an experienced dentist based in Stephens City, VA, having earned his DDS from the Medical College of Virginia. He is a member in good standing of both the American Dental Association and the Virginia Dental Association. To stay current on the latest dental trends, he also continually attends education courses at the L.D. Pankey Institute for Advanced Dentistry, the Misch Implant Institute, and similar institutions. He currently practices at his self-titled clinic and can be reached at his <\/em><a href=\"https:\/\/www.stephenscitydental.com\/contact-us.html\"><em>website<\/em><\/a><em> or by phone at <strong>(540)-869-4377.<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Dentists can quickly resolve all sorts of oral health problems, but oral cancer is different. It\u2019s notorious for its extensive treatments, unlike teeth stains, cavities, and fillings that can be remedied in only a few appointments. Depending on the diagnosis, full recovery can take months or even years. As you\u2019d expect, dentists usually work to [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v22.6 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/wordpress\/plugins\/seo\/ -->\n<title>Oral Cancer Risk Factors | Stephen&#039;s City Dental - Dr. Thomas A. Gromling<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Did you know oral cancer has roughly 54,000 annual cases? A dentist from Stephen&#039;s City shares the disease&#039;s risk factors.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.stephenscitydental.com\/blog\/2022\/04\/06\/know-risk-of-oral-cancer-dentist-stephens-city\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Oral Cancer Risk Factors | Stephen&#039;s City Dental - Dr. Thomas A. Gromling\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Did you know oral cancer has roughly 54,000 annual cases? A dentist from Stephen&#039;s City shares the disease&#039;s risk factors.\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/www.stephenscitydental.com\/blog\/2022\/04\/06\/know-risk-of-oral-cancer-dentist-stephens-city\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"Thomas A. 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