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Dentists Check for Oral Cancers
(HealthScoutNews)
-- Your dentist can do more than just ensure you have a nice smile
-- she can save your life by detecting oral cancer at an early
stage.
You may not associate cancer screening
with your regular dental checkups, but your dentist does. Dentists
check for oral cancer by inspecting your tongue, roof and floor
of the mouth, and by feeling the lymph nodes on the neck.
Oral cancer can start as a tiny,
white or red spot or a sore anywhere in the mouth. People who
smoke and drink a lot of alcohol are at the greatest risk for
oral cancer. But more than 25 percent of oral cancers occur in
people with no known risk factors.
The American Cancer Society estimates
that this year there will be 28,900 new oral cancer cases in the
United States and 7,400 deaths caused by oral cancer.
Early detection, diagnosis and
treatment of oral cancer is critical to long-term survival.
Current and future oral cancer
screening technologies for dentists include:
- Brush biopsy. A small brush is
used to take a tissue sample. It's sent for analysis to determine
the presence of pre-cancerous or cancerous cells. This method
is approved for use in the United States.
- Toluidine blue. The patient rinses
with various solutions that leave a blue stain on pre-cancerous
or cancerous cells. A positive test indicates the need for follow-up
investigation. Toluidine blue is approved for use in various
countries. Approval in the United States is pending.
- Chemiluminescence. A liquid similar
to diluted vinegar is applied to the area of the mouth to be
screened. Under a special kind of light, the liquid causes pre-cancerous
or cancerous cells to glow. This method is approved for use
in the United States but not yet widely available.
.
More Information
Learn more about oral cancer at
the Oral
Cancer Foundation.
Reference
Source 101
For more information on how to prevent other diseases, use
PreventDisease.com's "Quick
Prevention Resources".
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